Oranges and Ice Cream
by treenymphie
Summary: A young boy named Roman Torchwick finds his life shredded when a Grimm breaks its way into the city of Vale. His struggles to survive encompass every thought, and he is left alone to die. However, this changes when he meets a young, mute girl, alone as much as he is. Combining their forces, the two must find a way to survive, and possibly fall into the wrong hands.
1. Chapter 1

The night was quiet, shrouding the town in an eerie silence. The certainty of trouble hung within the air, cloaking every bit of safety that could have been felt. Darkness closed on the towering buildings and suffocated any flickering light. The only indication of life was the small boy running, gasps forcing their way out of his mouth even as he tried to stop. His vibrant orange hair was tucked under a hood; his need to be unseen was essential, and his hair was hard to hide.

The boy continued to run through the dark alley, apartment buildings stretching to the sky on either side. Trash littered the slim street, and in his haste, the boy nearly fell on his face as he tripped over an eskew trash bag. His ragged tennis shoes slapped the pavement as they increased their pace. He didn't dare look back for fear of what he might find.

Anger snaked its way up his throat as he remembered the frightening scene. He didn't understand how this had happened, especially in the city of Vale. And the huntsman…

A howl pierced the silence, and the boy jumped in fear. His speed increased, and he was practically sprinting now. His eyes barely registered what was in front of him, and he stumbled every few moments in his hurry.

Far back, he could hear the huffing and grunting of a Grimm. He wasn't sure how far the Grimm was from him, but it was sure on his tail, tracking his scent. Tears welled in his green eyes for he knew his life would soon be over. There was no way he could outrun Grimm, and he barely knew how to fight. He had just started combat school, but he didn't believe he could fight a Grimm. He didn't even have a weapon.

The boy took a sharp turn, hoping to throw off the Grimm as he veered into a different alley. He knew he couldn't really trick the Beowolf, as it had phenomenal scent and a longer stride. It wouldn't be long until it caught up to him and ended his short life.

Even as his life was screeching to a halt, the boy couldn't help but burn with fury. The city of Vale was protected, not only by Atlas military, but also by huntsmen and huntresses. How a Grimm had gained access to the city was beyond the boy's comprehension. However, the rest of the situation baffled him even more.

The boy had been enjoying a lovely evening with his parents. As he was at combat school, he had rarely seen them much in the past year, so this short time seemed to quench his desire to see them. As a gift to him, his parents had taken him to dinner and decided to take a walk around town before he must return to school.

On their walk, the boy skipped around his parents, delighted to see them. He reverted back and forth between walking politely with them and running ahead, waiting impatiently for them to catch up.

"Roman!" his mother called once when he ran too far ahead. "Come back, dear! That's a bit too far."

Roman turned to look at his parents. His mother's bright hair shone the same shade as his own, and it was laid in curls across her shoulders, radiating happiness as much as her smile did. Her hand was clasped in his father's, grasping tightly as if she had a fear of floating away. Her flowered dress blew slightly with the soft wind, and her body shimmered with it. She seemed to be part of the wind, just an illusion, but Roman knew it was her. He could walk up to her and hold her hand if he wanted, just to prove she was real, that she wouldn't fly away with the wind.

"Mom, I'm just having fun!" Roman yelled back. "I promise I won't go too far!" A smirk played across his lips, for his mother knew he was always trying to sneak his way out of trouble.

Roman skipped a few more steps before he heard the sounds that would end his happiness. He could hear the breathing of a large being, as it wasn't quiet in any way. His mother's scream rang in his ears, and his head whipped in her direction. His mother stood alone, the large Beowolf behind her. Her hands were covering her mouth, tears already streaming down her face. Roman's eyes flicked around, searching for his father. They found him thirty feet to the right, but it wasn't pretty. He was a mangled mess, blood streaming out from him, limbs turned in ways they shouldn't be. He was barely discernable in the pool of blood, his shirt the same color.

The Beowolf roared, standing on its hind legs before resuming its hunt of Roman's mother. However, something behind the Grimm caught Roman's eye: a man covered in dark clothes, barely discernable from the shadows in which he stood. The only thing that caught Roman's eye was the glint of the street light off his glasses. Roman couldn't make out what weapon he held, but he knew he was a huntsman.

"Help!" Roman screamed to the huntsman. "Please!"

Despite Roman's pleas, the huntsman didn't move from his spot. He watched the scene underneath the black shroud of darkness, refusing to help. Roman's desperation was rising to a peak, and he averted his eyes back to his mother. The Beowolf was right next to her, and she knew her fate had been sealed. She, however, refused to let it take her son as well.

"Roman, run!" she yelled desperately. "Please, Roman, run!"

Roman was glued to the spot in fear. His mother gave him one last look, her face pained and tear-stained. She held a hand out to him, her slender, delicate hand that he so loved to hold on to.

"Please, run," she begged, and then in one swift movement, the Beowolf engulfed her in his mouth, the only visible part left being her small hand and a strip of her orange hair, so similar to Roman's own.

His mother's death unearthed him, and he followed as she asked him to do. He turned and ran, but not before looking once more at the sulking huntsman. He still had not moved, just stood cloaked, his arms crossed, an indiscernible weapon in his hand, and leaning against the wall as if this was a normal walk in the park, not one in which innocent citizens died at the hands of Grimm.

And now, Roman was running for his life, hoping to keep his own while his parents were robbed of theirs, and a huntsman stood a bystander.

As Roman turned another corner, he risked a glance back, and his heart jumped into his throat. The Beowolf had easily caught up, mere moments from ending his life. Tears leaked onto Roman's cheek as he begged silently for his life to whatever would listen.

As Roman's mind was preoccupied with his pleas, he failed to glimpse the tiny colorful girl in the doorway of a building farther up the alley. This small girl closed her discolored eyes and held out her hand, palm facing toward the running boy and Grimm, concentrating on what she hoped to see.

Within moments, Roman realized the sounds of the Grimm changed, as it now started to snarl, but it didn't seem as close. He looked over his shoulder, and what he saw jarred him as much as his mother's death. The Beowolf, stopped now, was towering over Roman, ready to attack.

But how could this be? thought Roman. I am here. Has my soul escaped my body?

As the Grimm swiped a paw at the identical boy on the ground, Roman heard a small squeak. He turned again, back the way he had been running, and he finally saw the odd girl. What was a young child doing near dark alone?

The howl of the Beowolf forced Roman's attention again. It stood on its hind legs, infuriated as its red eyes glowed brighter. However, the image of the boy had disappeared. The Grimm prepared to charge again.

The squeak sounded again. The girl beckoned Roman to her, and he didn't have to be told twice. The young girl closed her eyes again, presuming the same stance as before. Roman set his head down and began the sprint to her. He could hear the Grimm in close pursuit, but as he neared the girl, he felt as if the Grimm was yet again distracted.

Roman made it to the door as the girl collapsed. Glancing at the Beowolf, he saw the same scene yet again, but this seemed fuzzier. Less real. He picked up the girl before closing the door and trudging through the unknown building, hoping the Grimm would forget where they were.

Roman crept down a tight hallway, searching for parents or any adults in general, but he found nothing save for abandoned apartments. Climbing to the top floor, he entered the largest apartment yet, which occupied the entire top floor. He set the girl on a musty, tattered couch in the living room before ensuring no one was within the apartment. He searched the three bedrooms, two bathrooms, four closets, kitchen, and living room, but the place was entirely abandoned.

Returning to the living room, he checked on the girl. She was almost two feet shorter than Roman, probably half his age. Her beautiful hair was fanned out around her head, one half a deep chocolate brown, the other half strawberry pink paired with white highlights. She adorned a black tanktop that was slightly too large for her and covered the black shorts underneath. Her feet were bare, but they were nearly black from dirt.

The girl gasped, her eyes snapping open, startling Roman. Her eyes were just as odd as her hair. They shone a bright white, but they immediately started to fade into one brown and one pink, same as her hair. She stared at Roman with her unusual eyes as if waiting for something.

"Do you have a name?" Roman asked, hoping to thank this girl for saving his life. His voice disturbed the still silence.

The girl stared at him, refusing to answer. Roman waited a few minutes before asking again.

"No name? My name is Roman."

Again, the girl didn't answer, just stared at him with unsettling eyes. However, her small lips curved up at the corners. She set a hand on his knee. An idea struck Roman, and his eyes widened.

"C-can you speak?" he inquired.

She looked down for a moment before returning her gaze to his. Her smile was gone, and her brow was furrowed. She shook her head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. May I give you a name?"

Once again the girl detached her gaze before turning back, her smile returned. She nodded.

Roman contemplated her unusual appearance, yet undertook how beautiful and stunning it was. He had never seen anyone so different.

"Well, I think I'll call you Neo."

Neo's smile grew.


	2. Chapter 2

The store clerk turned the corner of one of numerous aisles, his business being facing the shelves. His gray hair was collected in four spikes at the nape of his neck, just the way he liked it. He had to admit he thought his hair looked quite spectacular today; it was only natural though as he had spent a longer time than usual on it. After all, he had a date right after work, and he couldn't look sub-par when trying to attract a woman of immense beauty.

As the store clerk was daydreaming about his date later that evening, a boy and girl were hidden behind a stack of apples not too far off.

"Neo, you ready? Remember the plan?" Roman inquired.

The young girl rolled her eyes at him with a smirk on her face before nodding.

"Alright, go," ordered Roman.

Immediately, Neo started bawling her eyes out, the throttled sounds of her throat screaming as it was rarely ever used. Roman darted behind a different stack, this one full of potatoes.

The store clerk, finally waking from his daydream, heard the sounds of a child crying. Following the sounds, he discovered a girl with pink and brown hair, curled in a ball with her knees to her chest, sobbing into her arms. He could tell she was unusual; not only did her hair exclaim so, but he could feel an odd air around her.

"Dear, are you alright?"

The girl lifted her head, her eyes trailing up to his face. She shook her head.

"What's the matter? Did you lose your parents?"

Again the girl shook her head.

"Are you hungry? Do you need food?"

A sharp nod.

"Do you have money?"

Head shake.

The clerk's anxiety piqued slightly. He knew it would be considered stealing if he gave her food without her paying, but here was a young girl with no food, and maybe even no family to give her food. Wringing his hands, he decided what would be best. Picking up a sack of apples, he handed them to her, and pulling out his wallet, he also gave her some bills.

"Go pay for them."

The girl's eyes filled with wonder at his generosity as she pulled the food and money into her possession. She mouthed the words "thank you" and headed toward the registers. The store clerk watched her as she hurried to buy the food. This was sure a good story to tell his date tonight.

After Neo bought the apples, she headed to the designated place for meeting up with Roman. He sat on the fountain of the deserted park, watching the birds hop around him. As Neo approached, Roman seemed to be drawn to her as his head immediately turned to her.

"What did you get?" Roman asked. His coat was bulky and bigger in some spots than others.

Neo pulled out an apple and tossed it to him. He caught it with ease in one hand before biting into it.

"Excellent," he replied. "I managed to sneak out some bread and peanut butter before I thought someone would notice me."

He pulled two loaves of bread from inside his coat and a large jar of peanut butter. Neo smiled; she knew he had stolen those products because peanut butter sandwiches were her favorite.

The two thieves maneuvered their way through the streets before they edged into the slightly abandoned side of the city where their apartment was. Climbing the five flights of stairs, Roman led the way into their full-floor apartment in which he had carried Neo the first time they met. He set down the food in his hands before digging in to make two sandwiches. Neo followed, sitting at the island that separated the living room and kitchen, lugging the sack of apples onto the counter.

As Roman was spreading the peanut butter, his throat hummed an old tale, one in which his mother would sing to him before bed every night when he was a small child. Her melodic voice would lull him into a deep sleep, forcing the fears and poison of Grimm to flee from his mind. He remembered his father would sometimes stand in the doorway of his bedroom, leaning against the frame, listening to the beauty of his mother's voice with a smile across his face.

There was once when Roman remembered his father doing so, and Roman was nearly asleep when his mother's voice stopped. She must have assumed he was already deeply asleep, for she never stopped until she was sure his breathing was even. Roman's eyes were slightly cracked open, yet his parents were oblivious to the fact. As his mother turned to leave, her breath caught in her throat for her husband had frightened her.

"Your voice is as beautiful as always," Roman's father said.

"Hush, you'll wake him," she uttered.

"He's asleep, sweetie."

He pulled her into his embrace, setting his chin atop her head. She sighed into him, her body seeming to release any tension surely felt before.

"I'm lucky as hell," Roman's father said.

His mother pulled away slightly to look him in the eyes. "How so?" she inquired.

"Look at you. You're gorgeous. Talented. Gentle. And I have a child with you. What more could I want?"

She chuckled slightly. "I can also be temperamental, annoying, and stubborn."

"All things that make you, you. And I love it all. I love you."

She set her head on his chest again. "I love you, too."

Roman's reminiscence was interrupted by a grand rumbling from Neo's stomach, a sound so big that it should have been impossible to come from such a small package. He cracked a smile before slapping two pieces of peanut butter-slathered bread together and handing it to her. Her cheeks glowed red from the sound, and she sheepishly took the sandwich and scarfed it down. Roman finished producing his own and slowly bit out of it.

Roman's mind wandered yet again, except this time, his worst memory procured. The death of his parents still jarred him even if it had been nine months. Running for his life, the Grimm, the huntsman. It was all still fresh in his mind, not a bit capable of being dulled. From his best to his worst, and his curiosity peaked within him.

He and Neo had been living together for nine months, ever since she had saved him from the Grimm. It was somewhat lonely, living with a girl who couldn't speak, but it was also comforting in the fact that he wasn't forced to talk from politeness, but he talked to her because he wanted to. His worst memory had been shared with her six months into their arrangement. She never prodded him for what happened that day with the Grimm, whether it be due to her muteness or to her patience. Roman assumed it to be due to her patience as she could have asked in their written communication, and that's how he thought of it. Nevertheless, Roman couldn't help but wonder as to her worst memory. He was undeniably curious, yet the time Roman had asked (after he had shared his), she froze up and cut herself off from him for hours. Roman's recent reminiscence had again piqued his interest though, and with a deep breath, he readied himself for the prying question he was about to ask.

"Neo?"

The girl's eyes met his, a questioning look in her eyes as she bit into an apple.

"W-will you tell me your worst memory now?"

As if a switch had been flipped, the girl's face and body shut down. Her eyes emptied of any discernible emotion, her jaw clenched, and her whole body seemed to sag, almost as if she were limp. She stayed this way for a few moments before she seemed to regain awareness. Immediately, her hand tightly gripped the apple she was eating, and her eyes protruded a deadly glare. Roman regretted his decision, and he didn't dare meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his head hanging. "I shouldn't have asked."

Roman could heard the deep breathing of the girl trying to calm herself. She must have been unable though as she stormed to her bedroom, leaving Roman to contemplate his rude manner and ponder on how long it would be before she came out this time.


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness cloaked the room as Roman lay in bed, the musty comforter pulled up to his chin. Neo lay next to him in the large king bed. Roman told himself it was so he could protect her if anything barged into the top-floor apartment, but it was more the unsettling feeling that gathered in his stomach when he was alone in the abandoned part of the city, mostly cut off from society and help, that brought the two younguns in the same bed together.

Locking his eyes to the ceiling, Roman waited for Neo's breathing to even and deepen. The girl had been increasingly tired lately, dozing off during the day and lounging around the apartment, unlike her normal energetic self. Being young, she had a surplus of energy, but she seemed to hold more energy than a normal child, practically bouncing off the walls on a normal day. Roman couldn't help but wonder why she was increasingly lethargic lately.

As minutes rolled by, Roman observed the young girl tucked away into the sheets. Her strawberry and chocolate-colored hair splayed around her, the loose curls pulling apart in her movement when she slept. The short tastes of vanilla were indistinguishable in the hovering darkness, and Roman was always slightly disappointed at that. The vanilla was his favorite part; it seemed to him the biggest mystery out of the whole girl. Not only the white within her hair, but Roman could still remember the white he watched fade out of the girl's eyes the first time he met her. It seemed to be his savior, and he relished the thought of seeing the white again. It was the only pure part of their situation.

The girl shifted in her sleep, rolling onto her left side, facing away from Roman, and he nearly jumped. The thought of her catching him admiring her would wreak havoc on him; she wouldn't relent to tease him as much as possible. He didn't feel anything intimate for her as they were only young and barely aware of intimate relationships besides being older than their current ages, but he felt a connection to the strange girl. She had saved his life though, and a connected relationship such as theirs would only be expected from that situation. Little did the two children understand though was the deed had gone both ways, in which both of their lives had been saved in the meeting of the other. She needed him as much as he had needed her, and even still needed her.

Minutes passed into hours, and Roman's brain still resisted sleep. It was as if the girl had started to sleep for both her and Roman, and Roman was awake enough for the both of them.

Roman carefully crawled out of the bed, ensuring the girl was completely covered and tucked in; she threw a fuss if she wasn't fully immersed in the blankets, other than her head. Creeping out of the room in an unneeded way, he left the door open a crack before slipping on his worn-down pair of shoes and heading out of the apartment for some fresh air.

Descending the stairs and slithering out of the building, Roman leant against the cracked bricks of the apartment building they resided in. The crisp air reminded him that he needed to steal some new, warmer clothes for the two of them with the impending cold. The night was slightly chilling, a cold breeze scraping along Roman's bare forearm, goosebumps fighting their way to the surface. He should have grabbed his thin jacket on the way out considering he was wearing only a tank top and sweatpants, but it hadn't crossed his mind as he had been eager for an escape from the claustrophobic building, always cutting him off from the freedom he yearned. He knew the young girl usually felt the same with all her energy, but lately she seemed to prefer the dark seclusion it produced.

The sounds of howling Grimm reverberated through the abandoned section of the city. Roman had grown accommodated to the sound, and it rarely scared him anymore unless they were near. No, he wasn't scared of the Grimm; he was scared of the huntsman…

A howl of a Grimm was cut short, and Roman jerked his head in the direction of the shortened noise. Peculiar, he thought, for he could almost hear the sound of fighting not far from him. And the sound of aggravated Grimm.

Not thinking ahead, Roman sprinted toward the sounds. As he neared, he slowed and crept along, hugging the wall of another crumbling building. Peeking his head around the corner, the tell-tale sound of growling Grimm sounded out. A circle of the creatures was spread on the street, and in the middle stood a dark figure. The figure was facing Roman's way, but his head was angled at the ground, almost as if he accepted his defeat. He wore black pants, easily hugging his small legs, and a black suit jacket buttoned up his chest. A forest green cloak surrounded him, the hood pulled over his head, billowing out behind him, tempting the Grimm creatures behind him to attack. His weapon was held in his hands, and Roman discerned it as a cane almost, mostly black, and the top had a white handhold, a skinny latch attached as well. Why a young huntsman as the man seemed to be would use a cane was beyond Roman's comprehension.

One of the Grimm gave a hearty roar and pounced forward. The huntsman's head snapped upward, and Roman could barely make out the small glasses that adorned his face, nearly gasping. He knew that huntsman. That filthy, cowardly, fake huntsman.

The huntsman shot forward, swiping aside the Grimm with one hit of his cane. He seemed to move inhumanely fast, his arm swinging and jabbing so fast Roman couldn't even keep up by watching. The huntsman knocked down Grimm faster than anyone Roman had ever known was possible.

A Grimm barrelled up behind the huntsman and swiped a paw at his back. The huntsman, however, threw his hand behind him, and a transparent green wall blocked the Grimm's attack. He then twirled and jabbed the Grimm with his cane, sending it flying backward and crashing into an abandoned building. The building crumbled on top of the creature.

Roman continued to watch as the huntsman defeated endless amounts of Grimm. They seemed to continue to flood into the street, sensing the power the huntsman possessed, wanting to strike him down. Roman knew the feeling too. An ugly feeling rose within him, darkness and revenge, rearing its head and fighting for control in Roman's body. He could almost feel a black poison seeping into him and snaking its way to his brain. He wanted revenge. He was a lonely, blood-thirsty child, unable to forget the circumstances of his parents' death. He wanted the huntsman to pay.

Continuing to admire the huntsman's fighting style, Roman sucked in as much information he could about the huntsman. He committed his face to memory, along with the small tufts of gray hair that peeked out from underneath his forest green cloak. The brief lessons he had learned in combat school allowed him to pick out a few things as well. The huntsman's inhumanely fast pace had to be some sort of time morphing power, possibly his semblance. Or his semblance could be the forcefield. Either way, the man was a tough one to fight and a damn good huntsman. But he didn't always do his job.

For some reason, the Grimm backed away from the huntsman, seeming to regroup. Then all at once, Roman smirked, understanding their technique. Grimm were taught as stupid, no real plan to their lives, just killing, but that didn't seem to be the case.

As Roman predicted, all the surrounding Grimm pounced at once on top of the huntsman, who was overwhelmed by them. The Grimm snarled and roared, a sign of either victory or doom. However, the towering pile of Grimm started to vibrate, and some of the Grimm yelped and jumped off, tailing away in fear. Others continued to snarl at the bottom of the pile, clawing their way through others to eat the huntsman, not noticing the shaking.

Suddenly, an explosion sounded, and the Grimm were blasted off the pile. Some crashed into buildings or into each other. Others closer to the source of the explosion at the center of the pile were dismembered, their remains crumbling into ashes and flying off in the cool breeze. Only the red of their blood remained, staining the street the color of roses.

The huntsman stood alone, panting in the explosion he had just created. Roman could only stare, amazed at the man's power. He could only think that someday he wanted to be that powerful. Unfortunately, he could no longer attend his combat school as he had no money to pay, and his potential wasn't high enough to just be let in. He honestly wasn't sure how the combat schools worked in their professional business.

Roman's mind reeled, flashing back to his parents' death. The huntsman had just stood there, watching as they died, watching as he almost died. A dumb, dastard huntsman that stood watch, refusing to do his job. Someone as powerful as him could have easily killed the Beowolf with one hit, yet he let it happen. Roman, his hair seeming to burn brightly like a fire, reared in anger. Without forethought, he moved to attack the recreant huntsman, awaiting his own turn just as the Grimm had done. He had joined their ranks, wanting to tear the huntsman limb from limb.

A small hand closed around Roman's forearm before he could make his rash move. He whipped his eyes to it and found the young, unusual girl standing before him, awake from her deep sleep. She seemed to understand the situation, seemed to understand who the huntsman was, as her eyes were wide with sorrow as she slowly shook her head. Another time, she mouthed. Roman shook his head violently, tears gathering in his eyes as he tried to wrestle away from the girl's grip.

"You d-don't understand," Roman cried out, his voice cracking. "It's him. He let my parents d-die."

The girl refused to look away, and her eyes said everything that her mouth couldn't. She understood his pain, his want to avenge his parents' death. She was sorry she had to stop him; she wanted revenge on the huntsman as much as Roman did for hurting him. However, she wanted to protect Roman just as much as he wanted to protect her, and he couldn't jump into this fight. He had only been to less than a year of combat school, and this man was a full-fledged, exceedingly powerful huntsman. It would be suicide, and Roman would leave Neo alone again, struggling to live by herself.

Roman perceived all of this in the look in her discolored eyes, and he crumbled under them. Tears started to create paths down his white cheeks, leaving wet trails in their wake.

"B-but he l-let it h-hap-pen," Roman stumbled out, but he succumbed to Neo's light tugging on his arm. He followed her back to the apartment building, up the stairs, through the living room and hallway, into the bedroom, and into the bed, where she tucked him in. She laid next to him, stroking his fiery hair, as he sobbed. She held him close, and he laid practically limp, his shoulder shaking, his whole body sagging, wishing to curl up into itself and disappear.

Neo didn't fall asleep for a while, wanting to make sure Roman wouldn't go after the huntsman if she did sleep. She laid, her arms wrapped around his shaking, weak frame as he dampened the sheets near his face and her own shirt. She continued to stroke his head, hoping to soothe him in a way she wished she had been soothed three years ago. It was all she could do for him, and it seemed to work as Roman lulled to sleep hours later, held securely in the arms of a small, beautiful, yet unusual girl.


	4. Release Me

Roman woke the next morning to find the young girl out of bed. Her small frame somehow possessed a great warmth that comforted him while he slept, and even in his sleep, he knew it was missing. The teen stumbled out of bed, his eyes trying to tear through the crusty glue that held them together, worse today due to his crying in the night. His orange hair was matted and greasy, telling him he really needed a shower. It had been a while since the two of them had been physically clean since water wasn't available in the abandoned section of the city.

Roman pawed his eyes, scraping away the crust, a yawn taking over his mouth. Padding through the apartment, he entered the kitchen and living room, only to find his savior not there, nor was she on the balcony that protruded out of the living room. He searched the rest of the apartment even though he found it unlikely she be in any of the other bedrooms, but she could not be found.

A claw clutched Roman's chest slightly. He quickly slipped on shoes before hurrying out of the building in search for his companion. He shouted her name but received no reply, but he knew she would come for him if he called. The fact that she didn't tightened the clutch on Roman's chest.

Maybe she went into the city, Roman thought. I could check the city and get us new clothes while I'm doing it.

The worried boy practically ran all the way to the wall that enclosed the city of Vale. Their way into the city was a tiny hole in the wall settled near the ground, barely big enough for Roman to squeeze through. Soon he wouldn't be able to fit in it any longer.

Roman wiggled through the hole into the beautiful city that betrayed him. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, but it was hard to do so when he was a boy in great need of a shower and new clothes. He decided clothes and a shower were a priority to lessen the attention he drew to himself.

The boy found a new clothing store and wandered inside. The clerk was an older man of gray hair, his eyes pinched shut as if he were about to loll off to sleep at any moment. Roman nearly chuckled with his luck. This would be easy.

Slowly making his way through the racks of clothing, he found a pair of jeans for both him and Neo. Feeling particularly gutsy today, Roman grabbed another pair for each of them as well before making his way to the shirts. Slightly blushing as he crossed the undergarments on his way there, he grabbed underwear for the two of them as well. Choosing a plain white shirt and another plain black for himself, he struggled to find shirts small enough to fit the tiny girl. Wandering further into the store, he crossed a line of backpacks, pulling one into his hands. That would be useful for sneaking the clothes out considering he had quite a bit.

He finally came across shirts for Neo, and he chose a plain purple before setting his eyes upon a light blue shirt with a kitten on it that said "Meo!" Roman chuckled to himself and hauled it into the pile on his arm. She would hate him for it, but he thought it was adorably hilarious.

The boy made his way to the very back of the store to stow away the clothing, but as he stuffed the clothing into the bag, he glanced up at a glowing pink before him that caught his eyes. A small dress, small enough to fit his tiny companion, was neatly placed on a hanger. The color radiated a soft pink, and around the waist was a ribbon of white and brown swirl. It reminded him of the girl, of her delicate beauty, and he knew he had to get it for her. He couldn't wait to see what she thought of it as he hastily ripped it off the hanger and stuffed it into the bag with the rest of the soon to be stolen goods.

Quietly making his way to the front of the store again, Roman took a long look at the store clerk before realizing he was asleep, a drip of drool slipping from the corner of his mouth. Smiling at his luck, Roman slipped out of the door unconfronted and hurried away from the store he had just pillaged.

Retreating into his mind, Roman routed out the nearest bathroom. There were community bathrooms in Vale just in case, but they were scarce and spread thin throughout the city. The internal map Roman held in his brain depicted the nearest to be four blocks away, actually close to him. He set off in that direction, keeping his eyes open for the pink and brown-haired girl. Of course he didn't find her, but at least he would be clean.

Despite his great desire to stay in the shower for as long as possible, the claw that held his chest wouldn't allow him to do so. He hurried in his shower, but as long as he was clean, he didn't really care. What he really cared about was finding Neo.

Dressing in some of his freshly stolen clothing, Roman set out on his search of Neo, finally ready to tear the city apart to find her. She was his only friend, his only tie to socialization. If she was gone, he might as well be too. He couldn't bear the thought of her abandoning him; it was just too hard to grasp, and he nearly started to tear up at the mere thought of it.

Roman scoured the city, searching anywhere the young girl could be. The fact, though, was that the city was just too large. He would never be able to find her.

As daylight started to recede, Roman decided he would go home. Maybe she was waiting for him there and had made her own way home. Dejectedly, the boy gripped the straps on his backpack and forced his exhausted legs in the direction of his dirty, run-down home.

"Roman? Roman Torchwick?" a familiar voice said in disbelief.

His eyes widening, Roman's head slowly moved toward the voice. His eyes registered an old friend from Signal when he had attended, and Roman nearly bolted.

"It is you! Where have you been?!" the boy exclaimed.

The friend Roman had made had an unusual color of green hair, paired with his name, Loden. The two had helped each other in their first year of combat school. That is, until Roman didn't come back.

"We heard that your parents had died, and we were worried you had too, but nobody could find any evidence that you had or hadn't," Loden bursted out in his usual manner. "Are you okay? Why didn't you come back to Signal?"

Roman looked at the ground before answering his old friend. Even though he knew he shouldn't say anything about his situation, he couldn't help but relay bits of it to his good friend.

"After my parents died, I wasn't sure what to do," Roman started, not daring to look into Loden's brown eyes. "I-I didn't have any money, and I thought, without money, I couldn't attend combat school anymore. So I hid out."

Loden's eyes widened. "Roman, you can still attend it without money. The headmaster will allow you to continue at Signal. He told me."

"He did?"

Pink creeped into Loden's cheeks as he eyed his shoes. "He hoped I would see you sometime so I could tell you. He knew we were friends."

Loden paused on the last word, almost as if he were questioning the status. Roman could feel heat crawl into his face as well. He knew exactly why his friend had done so, but Roman didn't dwell on it.

"So, will you come back to Signal?" Loden asked. His right foot twirled around his left, drawing a semicircle, his nervous tick.

Roman looked to his right, gazing at the street that was laid out before him.

"Meet me back here in a week, and I'll have an answer," Roman said.

"The year's already started though. It'll already be hard to catch up."

"A week. That's all I need. I have to think about it."

"Okay, Roman. I'll be here in a week, same time. I'll arrange transportation."

The two boys looked each other in the eyes, an understanding passing between them. Roman needed time to think, and Loden knew a change in heart about being a huntsman had taken place.

"I should go," Roman said awkwardly, turning to leave. Before he could, Loden smashed into him with a hug, sucking the air out of Roman's lungs and helping the claw around his chest tighten.

"I'm glad you're okay," Loden said quietly.

The two boys stood still for a moment, and Roman wrapped his arms around the green-haired boy. It was a moment of safety for Roman, something he hadn't felt in a while besides next to Neo, and he relished it, wishing it would never end. It did though, and his friend wandered off, waving and promising to be there in a week.

Roman continued his journey home, contemplating the situation that had been laid before him. He had loved his time at Signal Academy; it was the first step in becoming the huntsman he hoped to be. That had changed, though, the day his parents died. Yes, it was true he didn't know if he was still allowed to attend, but he also wasn't sure he wanted to be a huntsman anymore. The man that had watched his parents die led him to this change of heart, and if that's what huntsmen were like, he didn't want to become one.

On the other hand, if he was a huntsman, he could rid the kingdoms of scum like the awful huntsman he knew, in addition to the slaying of the dark creatures of Grimm. Roman loved the idea of it, and he nearly turned back to tell Loden at that moment, that yes, he would return to Signal, but Roman knew he should think it out more. He also had more to think about than just himself; there was a young, unusual girl he had to care for as well. What would happen to her if he left?

As Roman neared his home, he once more glanced about his surroundings for the girl, but she wasn't seen. He hoped she was waiting for him in the apartment, angry and about to scold him for worrying her, but as he entered the apartment, she was still nowhere to be found. His chest clutched more, now starting to slightly affect his breathing. Trying to keep his mind off his missing friend, he made himself a sandwich and half-heartedly ate it even though he was starving from his search.

After his small meal, he aimlessly wandered the apartment, half in hope that the girl would appear, half in boredom of what he should do. He really did miss his life at combat school where he was always busy with class and studies and friends. Here, all he could do was lay around their apartment or wander around Vale.

When the sun had long ago set and the crystalline, shattered moon was high in the sky, Roman finally realized how tired he was. Even though he wanted to stay awake and hope for Neo to show up, he also desperately needed sleep. He lay in their bed, telling himself he would stay awake until she came home, but his eyes fluttered close too soon.

However long later, Roman didn't know, he awoke to the tiny, warm body climbing into the bed and hovering next to him.

"Neo?" he croaked out, still half asleep.

A small, familiar hand settled on his arm, and he smiled. She was finally home. The claw holding his chest released, and Roman sighed with relief for both.

"I searched for you all day," Roman murmured, his eyes fluttering close again. He refused to fall asleep until he was sure she was okay, though, and he forced himself to sit up and look at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, barely able to see her in the dark. It didn't help that she daren't look him in the face, and she slowly shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

Roman stroked the young girl's greasy yet beautiful hair, wishing she could speak in order to tell him why she had gone.

The girl looked up at him, and even in the dark, her eyes radiated white so bright that Roman nearly gasped. He had longed to see her eyes that way again, but not this way. Not when Neo was frightened so much that she was shaking. She pointed to herself and then her head, and Roman immediately understood her unspoken communication.

"Your worst memory?"

She nodded and held up three fingers.

"Three? Three what? Years?"

Her hair bounced up and down with her head.

"Are you ready to tell me now?"

Neo hesitated. She looked down at her hands, cloaked in darkness. She refused to meet Roman's green eyes for what seemed forever to him, but finally, her white eyes slid to his, and her head slightly tilted up and down.


	5. Swallowing the Past

_Warning: this chapter conatins high triggers for torture and rape. Please read with caution._

Surprise struck Roman's nerves. She was actually going to tell him? After him asking repeatedly, he would finally learn what the young girl had endured.

Roman's rejoicing was short lived, however, as he realized his companion was shaking with fear at what she was about to replay for him. He immediately regretted all his bickering.

"Neo, if you're not ready to tell me, you don't have to," he started, brushing strawberry-colored hair from her face so he could look at both vanilla eyes. "I'll wait until you're ready."

Her face shook with sorrow, and at the same time, it contained a thankful manner. She grabbed his hand and shook her head, her beautifully-colored hair swiftly shivering across her shoulders. She squeezed his hand and gave him one last long look. Green and white almost seemed to fade to sage, a beautiful mixture of trust mingling between the two. Then the girl waved her hand in front of her, and Roman was immersed in her illusion.

A younger Neo walked with her parents, two young men that held hands and giggled to each other and their beautiful girl. The ice cream cone of a girl skipped ahead of her parents, giggling and yelling at them to catch her if they could. She wore a pink dress to match half of her hair and eyes, and her long hair was braided down her back, intertwining the two tingling flavors. Even three years younger, she exuberated a striking beauty that would persist throughout her whole life, and it only made her more beautiful that she didn't know it. How such a young girl could possess such allure was beyond such comprehension.

Roman nearly stopped watching as he realized this illusion took place in the exact same spot that his own misfortune took place. He couldn't help but think that it was odd, but wanting to continue watching, he brushed it off as a coincidence.

The girl stopped skipping to whip around and tell her fathers to hurry up.

"Come on, slowpokes," she teased.

Roman nearly gasped at her voice. It caressed his mind, a sweet, lathery voice that slipped through his mind as he tried to grasp it. He wanted to remember it, the one voice he had of her, a savory taste of what could be, but it melted through his fingers just like ice cream on a hot summer's day.

The parents' eyes widened in fear, looking behind the young girl who was oblivious, and they reached out to her. Too slow, too careless. A man grabbed the girl from behind, his bicep bulging around her neck. She gasped.

"Let me go!" she yelled, hammering her tiny fists on the arm, not even making a mark.

When the man didn't let go, the girl started to panic, trying to stomp on his foot.

"Daddy!" she called out to her fathers, and they were rushing towards her.

"Stop right now or I'll snap her little neck," the perpetrator grunted.

They stopped, fearful for their daughter's life. Their eyes were widened, pupils dilated in anticipation of what was to come.

"Please, just let her go," the brown-haired one said. Her gripped the hand of his husband tightly, wishing this were just a dream.

"Come with us, and nobody gets hurt," the man demanded. It was then that other men melted from the shadows, just as menacing and towering as the one holding the young girl. They circled around the fathers, and they had no choice but to follow the ugly men.

The family was led to a dark abandoned house far from the city of Vale that they wished they were in right now. The house was run down, but still liveable in. As they entered the living room, the fathers nearly fell from what it held: the living room seemed a torture device in itself. Knives were hung up on the wall, some still bloodied, and two chairs sat in the middle of the room with buckles connected to them. A cage sat in one corner of the room. A table was pushed against a wall containing whips, scissors, lighters, and an assortment of jagged hangers. The floor was stained with the blood of past victims, and the room smelled of a heavy coat of blood and sweat. The screams of past victims could almost be heard, a lingering presence that warned of what would happen.

"Throw her in the cage," one man commanded. He seemed to be the leader of the operation, his hair flickering a black flame of terror. He had a tattoo that wrapped up his neck and around his left eye, making him easily distinguishable from the other torturers.

He motioned for some of the other goons and then motioned towards the two chairs. Two burly men grabbed the parents and strapped them into the chairs.

"Please, please let us go," the strawberry-colored hair parent begged.

The leader laughed, surveying the collection of knives hung on the wall. After contemplating for a moment, he selected a small dagger of about two inches and walked over to the strawberry-colored man. Leaning down, the leader stuffed his nose in his face.

"It would be a waste of time to let you go," he said. "We're just here to have some fun."

With a swift movement, he stabbed the dagger into the man's thigh, and the three members of the family screamed, one from pain, two from fear. The leader dragged the dagger down his thigh, pulling it out when he reached the knee. The smells of fresh blood mingled with the stale blood that still hung in the air.

The girl had been thrown in the cage, and she sat on her hands and knees, her eyes glued to her father that had just been stabbed. Fear constricted her heart, it's own claw wrapped around it. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks, but she paid them no attention as she was completely focused on her harmed father.

"Daddy!" she screamed.

"Shut up, bitch," the leader spat, pointing the dagger at her. The dagger that contained the blood of her strawberry-haired father.

"No, Daddy!"

Anger coiled through the leader, and he stabbed the dagger into the already-injured man's shoulder. He cried out in pain.

"Please, honey, be quiet," the brown-haired father said to her. He looked her in her now-white eyes, and she saw the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes. Her mouth shut immediately, and she nodded to her father that had yet to be harmed.

The unharmed father shot his gaze back to the leader, his teeth clenched together in anger and fear.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, nearly spitting on the man.

The leader's eyebrows rose. He ventured over to the table and grabbed a lighter. Taking his time, he walked back to the outspoken father and stopped in front of him.

"I told you, this is for fun." He held the lighter under the father's fingers and waited. The brown-haired father screamed in pain as his fingers bubbled under the heat.

"Please stop!" he begged, gritting his teeth in an attempt to bear the pain.

The leader chuckled, but he relented. Burnt flesh wafted through the room, a rancid smell that had some of the men retreating out of the living room. However, the leader was only getting started. He held the lighter against the long cut on the other father's thigh. Screams reverberated through the house, and they bounced around the girl's head, who was locked away, unable to help her parents, forced to watch them slowly be tortured. Her entire being seemed numb, attempting to deduce what was happening and why these men were hurting them. Why couldn't they just let her daddys go?

Continuing his torturing, the two fathers now had several burns on their bodies, and the strawberry-colored parent was becoming dizzy from blood loss. They begged for him to seize, to just let them go. A wicked grin displayed on the leader's face.

"Oh, are you tired? Should I give you a chance to rest a bit?" he asked. The grin on his face only told them that he was playing with them, but the fathers nodded, wishing he would leave them.

"Well then, I think it's time to play with the girl then." He stalked over to the cage, and the daughter shrunk away from him. The fathers' protests rung through the house, shouting at the man to come back and hurt them instead. To please leave their daughter alone.

Ignoring their requests, the leader opened the cage and yanked the girl out by her arm, a vice-like grip on her. She yelped in pain.

"Do you want to watch what I do to her?" the leader asked, shooting a smile to the parents. Neither of them answered, but their lips trembled in fear for their baby girl.

"P-please, don't hurt her," the brown-haired father pleaded. "Do whatever you want to me, but please don't hurt her."

The leader's smile only curled more, a menacing glint shining in his black eyes. He dragged the girl in front of the fathers and threw her on the ground. She gasped as her hands cut slightly on pebbles that were littered on the floor. She looked up at her parents, her eyes glazed a complete white. They felt the same way, and their faces showed it, their eyebrows scrunched together.

"I decided to let you watch," the leader's gruff voice said. "I bet you'll love it."

He turned to the few men remaining in the room and waved them off. They lumbered off, no emotion showing on their faces. Then the leader dropped his pants.

"I'm glad you're wearing a dress. Just makes it so much easier."

Screams echoed through the house yet again, but they persisted. Profanities were slung around, directed at the leader, threats of murdering him resonating through the house. The fathers struggled against the bonds ferociously.

Roman couldn't bear to watch. He turned to Neo, pulling her into a hug. He could already feel the warm wetness seeping through his shirt from her tears, and his own tears ran down to drop into her hair. The vision didn't stop though.

When the leader was finished, the girl lay on the ground, her bottom half a bloody mess. He called in another man, and he did the same. And after that, another man. And another. And another.

The girl had passed out on the floor after the leader. That didn't make it any better though. The parents continued to scream, still cursing the gang for their actions. The strawberry-colored father, lacking a large amount of blood, finally passed out too, but not before he let loose a full string of words that would slice any normal being in two. The brown-haired father watched as the last man threw his daughter's limp body back into the cage and locked her up for later. The leader, finally tired from his playing, picked up a coat hanger and stabbed it into the neck of the unconscious father. He gurgled, but nothing was left of him. The screams of the brown-haired father bounced off the walls.

"You're fucking annoying," the leader said to him. He wanted to end it quickly now, for the screams were giving him a headache. He also wanted to rejuvenate after his ejaculation so he could do it again. It had been a long time since he had a girl victim, and he wanted to take as much advantage of it as possible.

He stabbed the other father in the neck as well, and his eyes fluttered with the life seeping out of him. A chuckle escaped the leader, and he left the torture room to rest.

Roman hoped it would end there, but he was wrong. His companion's tears littered his shirt, but she seemed unable to stop the vision. It continued to play, and Roman watched, his eyes unable to tear away from it. The girl's fathers were discarded of, and she was carried upstairs to a bed in which they tied her to. Every time one of the men felt the urge, they visited her. And every time, she passed out from pain and fear. The bed was disgusting, full of her blood, semen, and urine. She was rarely allowed out from the bed, only to eat. It was her own torture, and she had no way to stop it.

The vision faded, and Roman sat stunned with his arms around the girl. He knew it must have been awful, but he had never imagined this. The fact that someone so evil even lived within the kingdom was disgusting. His own memory seemed so minor compared to hers. He held her tighter, burying his face into her hair.

"Neo," he whispered into her beautiful hair, "Neo, I'm so sorry."

The two cried into each other's arms, an unspoken sorrow mingling between them. The girl had endured something much worse than Roman, and he felt awful for his own selfishness when it was her that needed the comfort. She was the strong one between the two of them, enduring such awful torture and not letting it stop her once. Roman instantly wondered how his savior had escaped the gang of men, but it wasn't important at the moment. What was important was comforting the girl in her time of need, trying to bury the memories of an endurement that happened three years ago.

The salty tears of the two companions mixed together, a shared connection between the two of them. They eventually tired and both fell asleep within each other's arms, the orange and ice cream hair intertwining in a connected web. And secretly, a greater need of protectiveness for the girl settled in the pit of Roman's stomach.


	6. Are You Leaving Me?

The morning brought about a blessed cleansing for the two companions, but it wasn't determined to last long. As the sun crackled through the darkness, Neo found herself shivering in the absence of the warmth she had come to embrace. Slowly opening her eyes, blinking the light away, she found the normal spot occupied by Roman to be empty. Trudging into the kitchen, she found him making peanut butter sandwiches. He looked up at her with a smile, noticing the adorable yawn she succumbed to, stretching her arms as high as she could. He noticed her eyes had returned to their normal pink and brown, grateful that the anniversary of her worst memory was over.

He thought back to the night before after the two had fallen asleep. He had woken temporarily, the girl curled up in his arms, her beautiful hair strung out behind her. Roman tried to switch positions, but the girl refused, snuggling herself deeper into his embrace. There wasn't anything intimate about the exchange, just an innocence between the two friends, aiding the other in their worst times. He smiled at the memory.

Neo plopped down at the island where Roman was preparing sandwiches for the two of them. He set one down in front of her, and she immediately took a large bit out of it, giving him a peanut butter-filled smile. He grinned back, taking a bite out of his own.

"I have a few presents for you," he said, slightly muffled due to the food in his mouth.

She gave him a questioning look, her eyebrows raised and her eyes boring into him. He swallowed down the bite before he started again.

"I tried looking for you in Vale yesterday, but while I was there, I decided we needed new clothes. And if you want, we can go to Vale again so you can shower before changing into them," he explained.

Neo lit up at this. It had been a while since they had stolen clothes, leaving her in the dirty and holy grey t-shirt and leggings she currently was wearing. She could also feel the weight of grease in her hair, and her entire body was full of grime. She nodded vigorously, scarfing down the rest of her meal in her excitement to finally shower. Roman chuckled at her haste.

"C'mon, I'll finish my sandwich on the way there. You look like you really want that shower," he said.

She nodded again and watched as Roman slung a black backpack on his shoulder that she hadn't noticed earlier. Cocking her head to the side, she wondered what was in it.

"It's a surprise."

The two smiled at each other, and then they set out for the walk to Vale. Neo was in such a rush to shower that they arrived at the community bathroom shortly. She hurried in, leaving Roman to sit on a bench and contemplate.

What was he to do about Loden's request? Of course he still wanted to be a huntsman, but at the same time, he didn't. The huntsman that had abandoned his family in a time of need harmed his ideality of them, and he wasn't sure he could continue with it. At the same time, living at Signal would be better than living in their rugged apartment. Would Neo be able to come along with him? She was still too young to attend a combat school, and he didn't know if they allowed anyone younger. Maybe he could ask? Tell the headmaster he had a friend who didn't have anywhere to go, that she was dying to start her training and didn't even have parents to enroll her in the school. Of course he would have to ask her first, and assuming she said yes, he would force Loden to bring her with them. There was no way he could say no.

The young girl peeked her head out her shower. He hurried over with the backpack. He pulled out a pair of jeans for her, and grinning, the blue kitten shirt. She glared at him as she snatched them in her hand. She started to fully retreat to get dressed.

"Wait."

Roman, feeling his cheeks growing slightly hot, handed her a pair of undergarments. Her face turned red, and she quickly stole them from his hand and left him alone. He hurried back to the bench, calming his burning face. He wasn't sure why it embarrassed him so much; they were kids who needed to do this to live. It still got to the both of them though, but neither of them acknowledged it to the other.

The girl finally emerged in her punny shirt and jeans, her hair still wet and clumped around her shoulders. She glared at him, gesturing to her shirt, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"What? It's funny!"

She gave him a little shove, trying to hide the grin on her face, but Roman didn't miss it. He loved to make her happy, especially after what he learned the day before.

"Want to stay in the city for a bit? We can work on our pick-pocketing skills," he offered.

Her nose scrunched up in dislike; she had never been good at pick-pocketing, getting caught every time and nearly reported. Roman, however, had nearly perfected the technique, coming in handy for saving up some Lien. They had a jar back at their apartment filled with the currency, hoping to save some in case of an emergency. Neo still became queasy at the thought of stealing from others, but Roman delighted in it. His previous life had been stolen from him, so why couldn't he steal something as small as a few bills?

"You don't have to, but I want to add to the jar."

The girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes with a smirk. He shot her a smile back, knowing he had won. He hurried off to hide behind a trashcan, and he saw Neo sit down on a bench out of the corner of his eye, swinging her legs since they didn't touch the ground. She was so innocent; he was already feeling the dread creeping through him at telling her his decision.

Roman took his time picking out an easy target, stalking behind them for a few seconds before slyly slipping from them, a treasure stuffed in his hand. He smirked; this was way too easy. The people in Vale were barely worried about criminals.

Neo carefully watched her companion, picking out the technique he used on his victims. She was still amazed at how well he managed to pull off his thievery; meanwhile, she became queasy and nervous every time she remotely came close to stealing from someone. She had been stolen of her life, but she didn't think it was fair to steal that from others, and Lien could definitely be a big part of that. However, she didn't mind that Roman did it, and she understood that they needed a little Lien in order to survive. As long as she didn't have to do the deed, she didn't care what happened to keep them alive.

A slight heavy feeling dropped into Neo's stomach. She noticed something different about Roman, a small shift in his actions. She couldn't help but worry that her telling him her worst memory had made him dislike her, and she thought he would leave her. She was too much of a mess for him, too dark of a past, to deal with. The way he studied her more today, almost as if weighing something in his mind, made her anxious. What would she do if he left? Of course she had lived on her own for three years, although barely alive, starving and dirty. He was her only company though, and if she had to resort to stealing if he left, she knew there was no way she would do it.

Roman came trudging over to her, a big grin on his face, and she could see his pockets bulging. Neo forced a smile upon her face so he wouldn't think anything was wrong. He sat on the bench next to her, and she looked away, keeping her eyes trained on the road filled with passing cars. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Roman glancing at her occasionally, but she didn't return it for fear he would see the nervousness in her eyes.

Roman looked at the young girl next to him, finally deciding he had to tell her. He had already made up his mind, and all he had to do was tell her. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to say it, and after a long look at Neo, he finally sighed, mustering as much courage as possible.

"Neo?"

She looked at him, her mismatched eyes glittering. He recognized a small hint of anxiety in them, but he couldn't stop his confession now. All his courage was built up and rearing to be released.

"Yesterday," he started, now not daring to look at her, slowly drawing out the three syllables of that one word, "I saw an old friend from combat school. He told me that I was welcome back to the school at any time and that I really should come back. And I'm thinking I should."

He finally looked back up at her, and he hated what he saw. Tears were gathering in her eyes, shimmering in the sun. Her chin wobbled slightly. Finally, her face scrunched up. She set her hands on his chest and gave him a good, hard shove, and he slipped off the bench. Then she fled from him, tears streaming from her eyes. He watched her run from him, momentarily stunned at the strength she had pushed him with, his butt already feeling numb and bruised.

After the slight frozen momentum, he darted up and followed the running girl. Despite his much longer legs, she was surprisingly fast, darting through people and around obstacles like it were a simple game. She made it through the small hole in the wall and continued on, and he had nearly caught up to her when they closed in on the apartment.

"Neo!" he called.

She paused to turn, and he could see the menacing glare in her brown eye. She flicked her hand towards him, and an Ursa appeared before him, giving a guttural roar. Roman, despite the knowledge of it only being an illusion, felt a flicker of fear. She was already so strong at such a young age, unlocking her semblance, able to create something so powerful.

He squished the fear gathering inside him and barrelled through the Ursa, causing it to shatter. The broken pieces sliced his skin open, but none of them were deep. He told himself to remember that for next time.

Roman hurried up to their apartment, but the girl was nowhere to be found. She couldn't have gotten far in the few seconds he hesitated, and he didn't think she would dare to wander the abandoned section of Vale, knowing what she had endured in her past. There was only one place he could think she would be, and he realized that was where she had most likely been the previous day.

Silently making his way up to the roof, Roman found the young girl sitting near the edge, facing away from him and looking out at the city of Vale as the sun started to set, her knees tucked to her chest. He could hear her sniffles, and her hand moved to wipe away a few tears. His heart contracted at the hurt he had caused her; he never wanted to hurt her. He only wanted to protect her, and becoming a stronger fighter would help him to do that.

"Neo?" he said quietly, slowly stepping his way toward her. She didn't even look at him.

"Neo, I swear, I'm not going to leave you alone. I never intended to leave you alone. I want you to come with me. I don't think they take anyone as young as you, but they can't just throw you back on the streets. They wouldn't really be huntsmen if they did. My friend Loden is meeting me in six days to take me back, and you can come with."

Roman was close enough to the girl to crouch down and set a hand on her shoulder. Still sniffling, she turned to look him in his emerald eyes, a questioning look holding them.

"Yes, really. If they won't let you stay, I'll leave again. I swear."

A few more tears escaped her eyes, and he wiped them from her cheeks. She launched herself at him, wrapping her tiny arms around him and squeezing him with a surprising strength. He smiled and ruffled her ice cream hair.

"You're strong for such a small package."

She looked up at him with a grin.


	7. Anxiety

Six days later, Roman woke with a start. He was perspiring heavily, beads pouring down his face. He could feel the sheets around him were damp in his fit. Neo sat next to him, her mismatched eyes studying him with worry.

"I'm fine," he huffed out. He threw back the thin sheets on top of him and hurried to the bathroom. Slamming the door, he leaned over the sink and stared himself in the face. His orange hair was matted down, his green eyes filled with a wildness only known to rabid animals. He could see the lines under his eyes, and pulling in deep breaths, he tried to calm his nerves.

There was a slight knock at the door, and Roman jumped. Why couldn't she just leave him alone for a few minutes? That's all he needed.

"I'll be out in a sec," he called through the door. He could imagine the young girl waiting patiently outside the door, her arms hanging at her sides as she watched for him.

Roman wished he could turn on the water here; that's what he really needed right now. A good, long shower. Luckily they would be heading to town soon to do so, but he had to calm himself before they did anything at all.

The dream, or rather nightmare, Roman had endured through the night replayed in his head. He returned to combat school with Loden and Neo, only for them to reject the girl and throw her on the streets. Roman didn't keep his promise about leaving if she couldn't stay, so she lived alone again. Then she was forced into her terrible past, except this time, she didn't escape.

Tears welled in Roman's eyes. He couldn't let it happen. He refused to let it happen. He promised himself then that he would protect her with any means necessary, even with his life. He couldn't bear for her to go through another horrible thing. He would quit combat school again if it meant staying with her and protecting her. She was all he had.

Inhaling long breaths, Roman calmed the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes while simultaneously seizing the nauseous feeling within his stomach. He would not puke. He would not puke. He would not puke.

He lied. He threw up whatever he even had in his stomach, his knees cracking as they hit the floor. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Roman shakily stood up and looked himself in the mirror once more. Man, he looked like shit. Hopefully a shower would fix that. Forcing a deep breath into his lungs, he pulled open the bathroom door to find Neo watching him with worried eyes. She tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows crinkled and a slight frown laid upon her face.

"I'm fine," Roman lied. He pushed past her to the bedroom again, tossing the black backpack over his shoulder. The girl followed him, leaning on the doorway, her arms crossed. He could feel her eyes boring into him, but he refused to meet her gaze. Damn her ability to always know when something was wrong.

Roman made to walk past her again, but her small frame stepped in front of him. Not looking her in the eyes, he tried again, but she only set a hand on his chest and lightly pushed him back. He could tell he wasn't going to get anywhere if he didn't tell her.

"I had a dream, okay?" Roman burst out. "More of a nightmare, actually. I'm just stressed about going back to Signal, that's all."

Her eyebrows creased further, but he didn't want to tell her the details of the dream. He didn't want her to know that his subconscious believed he would abandon her if it came to it. He didn't even want to believe it, and there was no way he would let Neo believe it. No way he would tell her either.

"Neo, please, I'll be fine," he said, his voice softening. "It was just a little dream because I'm nervous, but I'm sure everything will go okay."

Her features melted, and her eyes said she believed him. Roman sighed internally; he always knew what to say to make her feel better, even if sometimes it was a lie.

"Are you ready to head to Vale? We need to shower and get ready for Loden."

Neo bit her lip, her mismatched eyes staring at the floor. The young girl had some indecision about leaving her home of three years. It had been her refuge for the extended time, even if some of it was her nearly dying of starvation. However, her home now was with the orange-haired pickpocketer, and she couldn't bear to even think of leaving him. She would follow him wherever he went for he had saved her life.

The young girl nodded reluctantly, sweeping her eyes over the bedroom one last time. She didn't know what combat school was like, but she doubted her and Roman would be able to stay in the same bed, and she was already missing the warmth he brought to her frail structure. Although he was much older, the girl couldn't help but blush at her foolishness. She would miss more than his warmth.

Roman patted her on the shoulder, ripping her from her thoughts, and her cheeks heated even more. She moved her gaze to the floor so he wouldn't see.

"If you need a moment, it's okay. I'll be outside."

Then the older boy left. Neo couldn't help but relish in the softness of his voice, how much he cared. She wished she could just leave this awful place, the place that reminded her of her parents' deaths. She wished she could just forget it like Roman had. She wished she could just toss it aside and move on to hopefully better things.

But she couldn't. The apartment, no matter how run down, had kept her safe from the horrors of the abandoned section of Vale. It had embraced her to hide from it all. If she could thank it, she would.

Neo dragged her hand on the wall as she walked down the hallway to the living room, avoiding the holes and admiring the cracks. It was a reminder of her life for the past three years, a reminder of what she suffered, of what her parents suffered. Even more than that was it reminded her of fighting for survival, not just for food and supplies though. It was of what happened after her parents died, of what she did to escape, of her flickering guilt over it. Images flickered through her mind, but she pushed them away. She wouldn't let them get to her. This was a time in which she should be happy, rejoicing for a new life, a better life. She wouldn't succumb to the shame.

Before she broke down, she swept her eyes across the apartment one last time before exiting to join Roman outside. He watched her slowly walk to him, her head hung.

"Alright now?"

Looking up into Roman's eyes, Neo knew instantly that this was what she wanted. She wanted to be safe. She wanted to stay with Roman. She wanted a real life.

The girl nodded. Roman smiled and threw an arm over her shoulder, though he had to bend down a little bit, and said, "Then let's get going."

The companions headed off to Vale to ready themselves for their new life. Before they entered the showers, Roman pulled Neo back, who was already eager to start. She gave him a questioning look, but all he did was take off the backpack and open it. Glancing up at her, he said, "I have a surprise for you."

The girl's brows crinkled. A surprise? They were in poverty. How could he have a surprise? She waited patiently, and Roman pulled the pink dress he had stolen for her out of the bag. Neo brought a hand to her mouth, her eyes watering. She couldn't help but admire the beautiful clothing. And how it reminded her of the day her parents died. It was nearly the same dress she had worn that day, a piece of her horrible memory that would never be forgotten. An embodiment of horrific endurings.

Now, though, it would be a reminder of her new life. It was a sign of her safety. And with Roman, nonetheless. An embrace of warmth to protect her. A tribute to her old life and her memory. A new beginning.

Neo threw her arms around Roman's neck, sobbing into his shoulder. At first, the boy was startled, but he embraced her as well. He had hoped she would like it. Although he did have doubts of it when he found out about what she had endured. He was glad it hadn't backfired on him.

The girl finally pulled back, sniffling and wiping her face. She tentatively took the dress from him, and he also handed her a fresh set of underwear too. This time, it wasn't awkward though. She was too grateful for the dress.

The two relished in the showers, a final rid of the grime they experienced in the seven months they had known one another. However, the silence of the two brought about doubts. They both couldn't help but believe that Neo wouldn't be able to stay. She was too young for combat school yet. Roman wanted to stay and learn to fight. He wanted to learn revenge. She wanted to learn what it was like to not be lonely. They both had wishes, but all of them relied on the headmaster's answer.

Finally, the two decided to end their stress-provoking thoughts and cut off their showers. It wasn't long before they were heading to the spot where Loden had told Roman to meet him. As they were slightly early, they sat on a bench, not conversing or even looking at each other. Neo's legs swung back and forth as he slightly hunched over, her hands gripping the edge of the bench. Roman sat back, trying to relax himself. Two differing personalities. Two differing coping mechanisms.

"Neo?"

The young girl glanced at him, but her eyes returned to the road. She didn't want him to see the anxiety she was battling with.

"It'll be okay. They wouldn't kick you out. I won't believe they can. And I'm not leaving you."

She patted his knee, letting him know she appreciated what he said. It didn't help her anxiety though, and she continued to hunch over, her stomach bubbling. She was glad they hadn't eaten anything this morning.

It wasn't long before a green-haired boy ventured up to them. He stopped in front of them, shoving his hands in his pockets. Roman noticed how different he looked in casual clothing instead of his combat gear or school uniform, and internally, he admired it.

"This a friend?" Loden asked, waving a hand at Neo.

"Yeah, she's coming with," Roman answered. He stood up, readying himself to leave.

"Isn't she a little young for combat school?" Loden looked at her with disregard, and Neo's face started to morph to anger. She would not be seen as useless.

"Yeah, but she's who I've been living with for the past seven months, and I'm not leaving her alone on the streets."

"You think the headmaster will let this fly?"

"He's going to, or I'm leaving again."

Loden's eyebrows raised in surprise. There was also something indiscernible in Loden's eyes as he looked at Roman, something he couldn't make out.

"Well, I'm not one to stop you." He leaned down to look Neo in the eyes. "What's your name?"

"Her name is Neo."

Loden straightened again. Roman couldn't help but watch his arms in the green shirt that matched his hair perfectly.

"You're a quiet one, aren't you?" he asked Neo. She glared at him, her brown and pink eyes warning.

"She's mute."

Loden's face fell in embarrassment. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry."

"Can we just go?"

Loden nodded vigorously, swallowing hard. Roman didn't why Loden seemed so nervous. Neo hopped off the bench, and the two companions followed the huntsman-in-training.

"So, Roman, you've just been living in Vale this whole time?"

"Not so much Vale, but outside of Vale."

"And you met your friend there?"

Roman nodded. He knew Loden was just trying to make small talk and fill in the awkward silence, but he wished they could just be quiet until they knew if Neo could stay or not.

Roman noticed Neo trailing behind them, and he slowed slightly to grab her hand. Her cheeks turned red, but he ignored it and squeezed her hand. They needed all the moral support they could get.

The trio soon rounded on a small airship and boarded. Loden told the pilot they were ready, and they started the flight to Signal. Roman leaned back and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long, anxiety-filled ride.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay on this chapter. I was having a hard time getting motivated, but it's finally here. I really hope you guys like it. It may seem a little boring, but I'm still setting up the plot for what will be happening, so hopefully you guys stick with me.

Additionally, if you're looking for another RWBY fanfic, there's one called The Downward Spiral which I highly recommend and am giving a shoutout to.

Any reviews, favorites, or follows would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


	8. Headmaster, sir

Fitful dreaming filled the internal cabin of a certain girl's mind. Darkness consumed the dreams, only black with the occasional break of action. The headmaster's voice, something she had never heard before, resonating a single word: no. Loden entering her mind to tell her that Roman was his, that she could never have him, that he would never like her the way she liked him. And her biggest fear to strike last: Roman, his vibrant orange hair covered in a hat, telling her he was leaving her behind, that he was glad to be rid of her, that she should just have stayed in that awful gang house. A lingering doubt in her subconscious slithered through her being, something she had barely acknowledged when awake. Something she didn't want to acknowledge when she was awake.

A light touch on her arm forced her out of her slumber. Her body jerked to attention, her lungs gasping for breath. In an attempt to establish her safety, she swept her eyes around her surroundings. When they settled on Roman, she felt she could breathe again, sweet, chilled air entering her lungs. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes, his eyebrows turned down in a frown. His hand still rested on her arm, and she set hers on top of it. She mouthed the same lie he had told her earlier that morning after his own dream, a small fake smile pulling at her lips. She could lie just as well as him.

Roman, after ensuring she was alright, retracted his hand and laid his head back, closing his own eyes. Neo wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but she was hoping they would arrive soon. If she built up anymore anxiety, she would explode.

Neo looked past Roman to see Loden sitting in the chair next to him, headphones blaring loudly enough for her to faintly hear them, his head bobbing along to the music. His green hair flopped around with it, flattening the style he had likely worked so hard on. She couldn't help but wonder how well the two boys knew each other. Had they been good friends? Maybe even partners? Possibly even romantic?

Her heartbeat quickened at the last thought. She didn't like the romantic one. Hell, she barely liked the partners one. But in the back of her mind, she remembered the look in Loden's eyes when he first showed up to get them. The longing glance. He might have hid it from Roman, but he couldn't hide it from her. She knew that look; it was one she frequently shoved down. There was no doubt in Neo's mind: Loden had a crush on Roman. And it totally, completely, utterly bothered her.

It shouldn't though, should it? She was just a young girl, years younger than Roman. She barely even acknowledged what a crush was. He was leagues ahead of her in maturity. He was going to school, primary combat school at that, and would be heading to Beacon afterwards if he was accepted. She was five years younger, not even able to start any training at Signal. His life would move on to bigger things, better than her.

" _We will be landing soon_ ," the pilot's voice crackled through the intercom.

Neo let loose a deep breath. Here it was. Soon they would determine her future.

The young girl could feel as the airship descended, and she gave Roman a little shake. He had only dozed off, and he woke immediately, giving her a small smile and reaching for her hand. As she set hers in his, he gave it a quick squeeze.

"It will be okay." His green eyes twinkled in honesty, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. He was so confident in what he said; she only wished she could completely believe him. Neither of them actually knew what would happen.

Loden stood as the airship landed, stretching enough for his green shirt to lift slightly and show the light skin of his stomach. Neo watched as Roman peeked at it, his cheeks turning a slight pink at his manner. A weight dropped in her stomach, but she forced her attention away from it. Now was not the time to worry about Roman's crushes.

The trio exited the airship, granting thanks to the pilot as they went. As she looked up, Neo took in the grandness of Signal. Two towers stood on both the left and right of the school, windows wrapping around them in a spiral. A third tower stood in the middle near the back of the school, the top just a ring of windows. The vastness of the grounds expanded for further than Neo could tell. The entirety of the outside was coated in black, but it didn't seem sinister. Black seemed to be the color of Vale, shrouding it with its darkness, but also flashing it in light. Although Signal was large, especially in Neo's eyes, it had nothing on the grounds of Beacon Academy, and the thought of even moving onto a huntsman academy had Neo nearly drooling.

"Welcome to Signal," Loden sighed out. His arms spread out, a smile lazily drawn on his face. Neo noticed the looseness of his manner, his eyes relaxed just as his entire body, and she could tell that this was his home. He felt safe here. She only wished she could feel that way someday.

"It's just as beautiful as I remember it." The quietness of Roman's voice startled the young companion. She looked at him, and what she saw made the weight in her stomach melt. Roman's mouth had turned up slightly, the corners of his eyes scrunched, a wetness touching at them. Her own heart warmed at the sight, and an involuntary smile occurred on her face. She touched his arm lightly, and he set his other hand on hers, not looking away from the view of the school. It used to be his home, and it would be once again.

"Let's go talk to Headmaster Lyon," Loden said, startling the two companions from their awe.

Roman and Neo followed the green-haired boy across the grounds. The green of it shocked Neo, a deep contrast to the run-down architecture of the abandoned section of Vale. However, the school was located on Patch, likely known for its nature and beauty surrounding it, so the placement of the school should be beautiful, naturally.

What seemed to be a long walk to the double doors of the school was actually quite short. As they entered the school, Neo found it to be just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside, although the inside was shrouded in old paintings and historical references of Remnant, a beauty to Neo, who had never had the chance to know about it. The darkness of the walls was subsided by the bright red drapes and rugs laid within the foyer, along with the paintings strewn around the room. It almost seemed bigger on the inside.

"Let's go, slowpoke," Loden called to them. "You'll have plenty of time to look around."

Neo noticed Loden and Romanhad trudged ahead, and the former stood further ahead, his body half turned back, his green hair flopping over his eyes, a smirk on his face. The girl could understand Roman's attraction: the way Loden held himself was attractive in itself, a confidence that she only wished she could possess.

She hurried to catch up, her short legs working overtime to meet with them. Loden continued to lead them, but she could tell Roman already knew the way. Of course, he had been here nearly a year, so this leading was only for her. She blushed, feeling like a burden, but the look Roman still held on his face, the one of happiness, didn't let her feel it for too long. This was for his happiness; she was here for him.

The trio hurried through the school, passing many students along the way. Some recognized Loden and said hi, while others relished in the fact that Roman was back. There were many greetings to him, welcoming him back to the school, already making plans to hang out. Neo hung back, keeping her distance from these new, strange people. Her smallness only worked in her favor, allowing her to hide in the background while Roman caught up with other students.

After many interruptions, they finally reached the headmaster's office. A loud knock on the door from Loden sounded, and the tall double doors opened, their mahogany wood not even creaking in the slightest. The grandness of the headmaster's office surprised Neo, but it was also cluttered with books and papers as if the headmaster himself was researching to write a paper. The walls consisted of a string of windows, being the room at the top of the middle tower. A large mahogany desk sat near the windows, the only organized section in the room. A pudgy man with a mane of golden hair sat in the chair behind it, a dark suit adorned with a bright red tie to match. His chin folded over the top of the tie.

"Greetings again, Roman Torchwick," the headmaster started. His voice rumbled deeply, a loud bark from a large man.

"Headmaster Lyon," Roman replied, nodding in his direction.

"Loden, thank you for retrieving him. You may go back to your studies now."

The green-haired boy bowed to the headmaster, a formal gesture that confused Neo. Was she going to have to do that?

The headmaster waited for Loden to exit before continuing.

"Roman, how have you been?"

"Fine, Headmaster."

Neo noticed how the smile had vanished from Roman's face, replaced with a straight, formal manner. Did the headmaster like formal?

"I'm dearly sorry to hear about your parents."

Roman bowed his head. "Thank you, Headmaster. I've had time to deal with their loss."

"I see you've brought a friend." Headmaster Lyon eyed Neo, a curious expression donned upon his face. "She's quite young, isn't she?"

"Uh, yes, Headmaster, her name is Neo. I was wondering if she would be allowed to stay at Signal with me." Roman kept his eyes lowered. A sign of dominance for the headmaster.

Leaning forward, Headmaster Lyon asked, "How old are you, girl?"

"She's ten, sir. She's mute."

"Interesting." He leant back in his seat, holding his hands upon the armrests. "You do know that's too young for the academy, correct?"

"I fully understand, sir, but we have been living in the abandoned part of Vale, alone, with barely any food to survive. I refuse to leave her on the streets. If she leaves, I leave." Neo noticed Roman had straightened slightly as he relayed his terms to the golden-haired man. A sign of his own dominance in this situation.

"Ah, well, Roman, while you were gone, Remnant has decided upon a new age for children to attend primary combat schools such as Signal. Four years is quite the time to train for a huntsman academy, but the kingdom felt five years would be even better to span the knowledge of what huntsmen-in-training need. Seeing as the girl is only two years younger than the new starting age, I can make an acception. However, this does mean that your own curriculum is accelerated, and you must catch up in the months you've missed."

The anxiety Neo had been feeling finally diminished, a sizzling evaporation within the pit of her stomach. She nearly sighed and collapsed, but she knew their business wasn't finished.

"Of course, Headmaster. I fully intend to work as hard as I can to continue with the others that are my age."

"Good to hear, Roman. Considering this has been sprung on me, I will need some time to organize our new student's schedule and rooming. Your own room will be the same as before. Why don't you go to the dining hall for lunch and return to my office afterward? I shall have everything in order."

"Thank you, Headmaster. We greatly appreciate it."

Roman bowed, and Neo mirrored him, showing her own respect to her new headmaster. The two then turned to exit.

"Neo, you said?" Headmaster Lyon said. He chuckled. "That's fitting."

Roman smiled back at him, and then they left the headmaster to himself. As the doors closed, Roman turned to Neo, heaved a great sigh, and pulled her into a hug. She gripped him tightly, thankful for the opportunity.

"See," Roman started, his voice weak, "I told you everything would be alright."


	9. New Roomies

Roman led Neopolitan to the dining hall, a long room filled with straight tables lined together, similar to a certain dining hall in a certain wizarding world. Long curtains were strung upon the windows and twisting along the walls, starting at a yellow, and then fading into an orange, red, and auburn to match the turning season outside. Neo felt the need to brush her fingers along the fabric, knowing it would be a soft silky texture, beautiful in every aspect. Nevertheless, Roman pulled her along and sat down next to a girl with long, flowing black hair, a few other students gathered around her.

"Long time, no see, guys," Roman said, a large smile displayed upon his face.

The students at the table turned to him, and they all exclaimed, yelling and asking where he had been and what he was doing. The girl with the black hair leapt on him, embracing him. Neo felt a clutch in her chest, but she ignored it. These were Roman's friends; they hadn't seen him for a long time, and she had no right to be jealous.

"It's nice to see you again, Roman," the girl said.

Neo now noticed the girl's startling eyes, a shifting silver that was never the same. Her eyes almost seemed to flow, never halting on a particular shade of gray. Neo nearly felt intimidated by the girl.

"You too, Erë," Roman replied. "And you guys!" He gestured to the three others sitting at the table, another girl and two boys. The other girl possessed bright red hair, her eyes holding a light brown hint, nearly a caramel brown, but they held a bright twinkle to them, and she had the biggest smile at the table. The boy sitting across from Erë was a scrawny boy, his shoulders leaning forward, and had jet black hair and matching eyes, making him look menacing in his own way, yet he seemed friendly enough with a beam upon his face. The other boy contained shaggy blond hair and lilac-colored eyes. Neo was somewhat drawn to his eyes, but she was much more drawn to the silver-eyed girl, Erë, her eyes continuously shifting.

"Guys, this is Neopolitan, but she goes by Neo," Roman said, gesturing at his young companion. He squeezed her hand underneath the table, knowing the amount of pressure he had just put on her and knowing she didn't like that. She smiled and gave them a slight wave.

"Neopolitan, huh?" the blond asked. "That's ironic." His face held a sloppy smirk.

"Neo, this is Erë, the silver eyes, Ross, the redhead, Pitch, the creepy one, and Mele, the blonde." Roman gestured to each in turn, and they all chorused their hello's.

"Neo, you look a bit young for Signal," Erë remarked. Neo could barely focus on the words she was speaking as her eyes were distracting.

"She's only ten, but Headmaster Lyon is allowing her to attend. We met when I was on the streets, and we've lived together ever since. I didn't want her to stay there when I came back, so I brought her along."

"Roman, you're so nice!" Ross squealed.

Roman rubbed the back of his head with his hand, a telltale sign to Neo of his nervousness. She couldn't quite tell why he would be nervous, but she figured she was sure to find out soon.

"You lived on the streets this whole time?" Mele asked, his lilac eyes widening.

"Yeah, Neo actually saved me," Roman remarked.

"What? You've trained. How?" Pitch finally spoke up, his shoulders straightening slightly.

Roman shot Neo a glance before he said, "She's a lot tougher than she looks."

Heat crept up Neo's cheeks, and she looked down to avoid everyone's eyes.

"Well, you'll most likely be rooming with us, Neo," Erë started. "We're the only girls' dorm that I know of that has an opening."

Neo gave her a slight nod, wondering who 'us' was. Roman pushed a plate of food in her direction, but she was too anxious to eat in front of the crowd of students at the table.

"Quiet one, aren't you?" Mele questioned, scrunching up slightly to look her in the face. "You and Pitch will get along just fine then."

"She's mute." Roman's concise remark earned near gasps, and Neo was almost waiting for the chorus of condolences, but they didn't come this time. She glanced to each student in turn, noticing how each face was slightly shocked, but nobody said anything. Roman decided to break the silence after taking a bite out of a chicken leg.

"So," he started, his voice muffled as he talked through the meat in his mouth, "how are classes coming along?"

This seemed to break at least one of them out of their shock, and Ross burst out in quick banter. "Oh, it's wonderful, although classes are getting tougher since we have that increased load on us for the extra year we didn't attend the academy. I think it'll be okay though since we're totally going to become huntsmen and huntresses-in-training in a couple years and go to Beacon Academy."

Roman smiled at his friend's spunk; he had nearly forgotten the endless amount of energy she seemed to have. It was a nice refreshment from the darkness he had experienced living on the streets.

"How about the rest of you guys?"

They all answered with 'good's, and Roman was happy that they were doing okay. He didn't want to hold anyone back.

"Pitch, how's the home?"

Pitch didn't look up from his food.

"Still the only one with black hair and eyes," he answered.

"Your parents still having the angel babies?"

"Yeah, all white hair and white eyes. Six siblings now."

Roman whistled. Pitch was the first born child, yet the rest of his siblings contained white hair and white eyes, straight from the womb. They were all almost too similar.

"And Mele, did your sister start here yet?" Roman asked.

"Yeah, since they lowered the age, she just started," the lilac-eyed boy answered.

"Can't wait to see is she's as fiery in real fighting as in video games."

A figure plopped down across from Roman, and Neo recognized it as Loden. She had been able to nibble on some food as Roman kept the others occupied with questions, but she stopped now as Loden glanced at her.

"Headmaster Lyon says he's ready for Neo now," Loden said.

"That was quick," Roman said, throwing down the chicken leg and moving to get up. Loden held up a hand to stop Roman.

"He wants me to take her there; he said you should catch up with friends."

Roman shot Neo a look, his eyebrows pulled together.

'You gonna be okay?' he mouthed to her.

Neo nodded in response and climbed off the bench. Loden followed her before leading her once again to the headmaster's office. The butterflies in her stomach settled slightly as she was finally away from the crowd of the table, although she still felt some being away from Roman.

"I'm excited to see you fight," Loden said, making conversation. He glanced at her for a response, but his eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "Oh, shit, I forgot. Sorry about that."

She touched his arm slightly in an _it's okay_ gesture, hoping he would understand it. It seemed satisfactory enough as he turned to look forward again.

As they reached the headmaster's office again, Loden walked inside with Neo once more.

"Thanks again for coming back, Miss Neo," the headmaster started. "Loden would you please wait outside? I'll need you to escort this young girl to her dorm when she has everything."

Loden nodded, gave a small bow, and left the room.

"Neo, do you know what combat school entails?" Headmaster Lyon asked.

She shook her head, only knowing that she was to fight.

"Well, you will learn many valuable life lessons at Signal Academy. Yes, of course you will learn how to fight. You will forge your own weapon. You will study the Grimm. However, you will also learn about the kingdom of Remnant, its history, its terrain. You will learn how to live on your own, how to survive, how to heal. You will learn how to grow."

Neo bowed her head at the headmaster, hoping this was enough for him. To Neo, her lack of speech didn't make up for the dominance the headmaster liked to convey. It was the best she could do though.

"Here is your class schedule." He held out a piece of paper, and Neo hurried forward to take it from him. She backed up slightly, glancing at it but not wanting to direct all of her attention on it for it would disrespect the headmaster. She knew how to deal with dominating people after all.

"Since you started after the school year began, there are no longer any dorms available for you to room in that are of your year. You will room with two older girls. I hope that will be okay for you. They are quite lovely."

Neo nodded once more, grasping the paper in her hand.

"Loden will lead you there when we are done here. Now, as I understand, you are mute?" Another nod. "I have arranged for you to have a scroll that will speak whatever you type into it. I know it will be a big difference, and you would probably much prefer the silence. However, it will be easier to cooperate with your professors and other students. I hope this will be a good accomodation."

Neo signed 'thank you', not knowing if the headmaster actually knew that sign, but he seemed to take it. In reality, Neo wasn't sure how she felt about the talking scroll. Yes, it would be easier for everyone else, but she also didn't want to ruin the special bond between her and Roman, the one where he knew all of her mannerisms without speaking. He could understand whatever she was saying after their extensive time together, but she didn't want that to diminish. Nevertheless, she couldn't reject a gift from the headmaster, so she must take it.

"You're welcome, Neo," Headmaster Lyon replied. "And thank you for accommodating. It will help all of us. I will have the scroll sent to your dorm when it is ready. I am hoping for tomorrow as it will be easier for your first day of classes, but alas, not everything goes the way we want. It shall be in soon."

Neo once again signed the two words, keeping her head lowered to look at the ground.

"That's all for now, Miss Neo. Good luck on your classes."

Neo bowed at the pudgy man before exiting the office. Loden was leaning against the wall, one leg propped against it, his arms crossed in front of him. Neo could see the attraction she guessed Roman possessed for the growing boy: the precise forest green hair, the slight outline of muscles through his matching shirt, even the way he carried himself.

"Ready?" he asked, pushing himself off the wall. Neo nodded, and he led her away.

"The Headmaster told me you were rooming with Erë and Ross, the girls from the dining hall," Loden started. "Roman and the other boys room with me, and we all hang out together, so you should be able to join us. Of course, classes first, but then fun."

He shot her a smile, and she returned it, grateful for his invitation. He must have understood her anxiety, the lingering doubt that she would spend much time with Roman. However, even with their slight headbutting, Loden was helping her, making her feel better. She slipped that thought into her mind, saving it for later.

They reached an open door, and Neo could hear laughing from the inside. The group that sat at the table in the dining hall was now sitting in a dorm, one that Neo figured was hers. When they saw the pair enter, Erë was the first to speak.

"See, I told you that you'd be rooming with us." A smile spread across her face, shifting the color in her eyes even more.

"Welcome, roomie!" Ross exclaimed, jumping off the bed and throwing up her hands.

Neo glanced at Roman, and just from the smile held upon his face, she could tell she would be okay here.

 **Author's Note:**

Hey, guys! I just wanted to say thanks for sticking with me even after that hiatus. It's really appreciated, and I hope you guys will continue to read. I also just want to give a heads up for the next few chapters. Seeing as how Roman and Neo are now at Signal Academy, the next few chapters may not be as interesting or fast-paced. I want to get the real feel of the school right, so bear with me for a while please! I'll try to keep updating every week, but seeing as how a lot of things like to pop up (especially writers block), I'm not sure if that will continue. Anyway, thanks again for reading!


	10. A New Beginning

Neo sat upon her bed, her very own bed, one that didn't have holes in the blankets and a worn down mattress. Even the thought of her own bed left her speechless, though nobody else could understand this besides Roman. Staring down at her hands, she couldn't fathom her luck in finding a friend, one who went to Signal, one who could get her into the school, and being allowed to stay there. Over two years she had been completely and utterly alone; now she sat on a bed of her own, with a uniform of her own, and a place to call home.

The day had ended quickly, resulting in the four boys leaving for their dorm. The room seemed spacious for only four people, or rather three, as one less occupied the room than available. Two beds lined the left and right walls, the feet angled together, and the coverings were the same shade as the curtains: starting with yellow, and gradually shifting into orange, auburn, and red. A long bookshelf lined underneath the window, allowing one to sit on the windowsill if they preferred. The closet was on the right side of the room, tucked away in the corner nearest the door. Both Erë and Ross slept on the left side of the room, leaving Neo with the right side to herself. They both had covered their wall in posters and pictures, mostly of famous Huntsmen and Huntresses, and of family.

"Neo?"

The voice startled her from her utter amazement, and she looked up into the flowing silver eyes of her roommate.

"Do you have anything you want to put in the closet?" Erë asked her. She was currently holding up a hanger that contained a plain black dress, readying to put it in the closet.

Neo, unsure how to answer her, nodded, but she also shook her head. Erë gave her a confused look.

"Wait, here." Ross ran over to Neo, pen and paper in hand, and gave it to the young girl. Neo signed 'thank you', hoping the redhead would understand, but she then directed her attention to writing. She hadn't written in years, so her handwriting would be sloppy, unused to the feeling of gripping the pen, a foreign object to a poor girl. Taking her time, she carefully spelled out what she wanted to say. The older girls leaned over her to watch as she slowly formed the letters.

"Oh, Roman has them? What about the dress you are wearing? Should we wash it?" Ross questioned.

Neo again wrote what she needed too, her tongue caught between her teeth in concentration. The gasps from the two girls as they read it confused Neo. They knew she had been on the streets; why was this surprising?

"You don't have anything else? I mean, besides what Roman has, which probably isn't much. That's awful."

Neo looked up at Ross as she spoke, the redhead's face sorrowful. Erë's face was scrunched in thought, and she didn't speak for a while.

Ross pointed a finger at her friend. "Erë, I know that face. What are you planning?"

Silver eyes darted to caramel ones, and also to the pink and brown ones. Her lips turned up slightly, her eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Let's go shopping tomorrow."

Neo's head shook quickly, and she frantically scribbled on the piece of paper. As Erë read it, she waved her hand at the young girl.

"Don't worry about Lien. I've got plenty. My parents are high-ups in the Schnee Dust Company, basically under Jacques Schnee himself. They have too much Lien to even do anything with it. I'll just tell my mom we're going on a shopping spree."

Ross squealed, throwing her hands up high in excitement. "Oh, I just love shopping! It's too bad we're on Patch. Vale has a much bigger clothing selection than this tiny island."

The tiny companion smiled at the redhead's energy. It reminded her of how she used to be, before her parents died. She could get used to these girls.

"It's a deal," Erë said, also grinning at her friend's excitement. "Tomorrow after class, we'll meet here and then head out. The boys can live without us for a day."

Ross giggled, making her eyebrows wiggle simultaneously. "Are you sure? Mele might be upset."

Pink rose in the dark-haired girl's cheeks. "I could say the same for Pitch."

Ross ran across the room and vaulted herself on her bed, bouncing upon it. "Oh, please, I just have a way of making people talk."

Eyebrows raised, Erë shot back, "Pitch doesn't talk to just anyone."

The other girl shrugged. "Whatever, I don't see it. All I know is I see the way you and Mele talk."

Neo looked back and forth between her two roommates, soaking in as much information as she could. Her heart gave a jump as she realized that Erë was into Mele instead of Roman, a relief for the young girl. However, Ross was a likable girl, especially energetic, making her a viable candidate for Roman, considering she didn't seem to be into Pitch, who Erë believed had a thing for the redhead. And there was also Loden. Although Neo didn't know what Roman preferred, she had picked up on their slight flirting and a history between the two that provided a connection.

Erë's voice knocked Neopolitan out of the quick banter in her head. "We're only fourteen, Ross. Even if we did get together, which I don't think we will, we both might not get into Beacon. Just because we both went to primary combat school doesn't mean we'll both pass the test."

The words caught the ice cream girl's attention. Her mind raced through what the older girl had just said, and her hand moved quickly to the paper still on her lap.

"Oh, look, Neo wants to say something," Ross remarked, jumping off her bed and hopping over to them again. She read as the younger girl wrote, "'Wait, you might not get into Beacon?' Well, see, in order to get into Beacon or any other Huntsman academy, you have to take a test that shows your skills and knowledge of Remnant already. If you don't pass, you don't get in. And if you don't get in the first year you apply, it's much harder to apply again. Of course, you could always apply to the other academies as well, but they're equally as hard to get into, and Atlas is much harder."

Neo's eyes pierced the caramel brown of her roommate, her head tilted to the left slightly. So, if Roman passed the test, he would go to Beacon, or possibly another Huntsman academy, leaving her alone. She would be stuck here at Signal, finishing the many years she had to catch up. She would again be alone, and she wouldn't have these girls with her either. She didn't even want to become a Huntress. She didn't want to protect just anyone; she wanted to protect Roman.

"Anyway," Ross continued, turning back to Erë, "you and Mele are probably the best fighters in the school. There's no way you both won't get in. If you guys don't, there's no hope for the rest of us."

The black-haired girl flushed at the comment, hiding her face behind her hands as she did. Neo couldn't help but smile at the girlish notion, one that she herself indulged in occasionally. These girls weren't much different than her.

"Well, I think it's time we go to bed," Erë announced, saving herself from her embarrassment. "We've got class in the morning, and it's Neo's first day. You'll need all the sleep you can get."

With that, the three roommates readied themselves and crawled into bed, Neo still in the beautiful pink dress that Roman had stolen for her. Exhausted from nerves and little sleep the night before, she drifted heavily into sleep, her last thought the image of Erë's shifting silver eyes.

"Rise and shine, roomie!"

The loud voice above her shook Neo from the soothingness of a real bed. Peeling her mismatched eyes open, Ross stood leaning over her, a large grin upon her face, and her hair was wild. At the sight of Neo's eyes, she squealed and jumped up and down. The younger girl couldn't help but grin at the energy again, something she missed from her earlier days.

"Ross, give the girl some space. She just woke up." Erë was at the closet, pulling out her uniform, a satin black vest and a skirt, the colors on it following the same pattern as the curtains and bedspreads. Something about those colors intrigued Neo, itching something at the back of her brain. They held some importance, other than the colors of autumn, but she was oblivious to what it could possibly be.

Ross backed up a bit, but she was still jumping up and down, her hands clasped to each other. "Are you ready for your first day of class? Oh, and if you're not, just remember that we having shopping to look forward to after classes. It's gonna be so much fun!"

"I should not have said that last night," Erë remarked, her face annoyed at her roommate's energy. "It's too early in the morning to deal with your excitement over it."

A small chuckle came from Neo, and the two girls froze and looked at her. She looked back and forth between them, wondering why they were so surprised.

"That was the cutest little laugh I have ever heard!" Ross squealed. "Erë, wasn't that the cutest? I didn't know mutes could laugh, oh my Oum, was that offensive? If it's offensive, just tell me and I'll stop saying mute, I'm not very good at stopping my thoughts from popping out but I'll try if you don't like that?"

The redhead had jumped around the room as she rambled, but she stopped again in front of Neo, looking for an answer. A smile adorned the young girl's face, and she shook her head. The word didn't really bother her, but she appreciated Ross' concern for offending her, and it only warmed her heart to the girl even more.

"Now that that's settled," Erë's voice pierced through the silence, "you two need to get ready. Classes will be starting soon."

Ross giggled, running to the closet and pulling two uniforms out of it. She handed the smaller one to Neo, and they all dressed in their identical uniforms. Neo had trouble with the vest, something she had never worn before.

"Here, I struggled my first few times too," Erë said, helping Neo into her uniform. Both the girls were already dressed, waiting upon Neo. As the silver-eyed girl buttoned up the younger's vest, they were finally ready to begin their day.

"You should probably bring your class schedule along so you know where you're going." Erë handed her the sheet of paper that had been on the windowsill. "You'll get your books in your classes, and you can always bring them back here before lunch."

Neo nodded, hoping the older girl understood her thanks for the information. It was beneficial to have nice roommates that were willing to help her in any way they could, and they had only just met her the day before.

"Let's go." The older girls grabbed their books and started to head out the door. Just as Neo was following them, she heard shoes echoing down the hallway, and as she turned to look, they skidded to a halt. Her heart surged in her throat when she saw the orange hair.

"I'm glad I caught you before you went to class," Roman panted out. He held out a device to Neo. "Here's your scroll that the headmaster ordered for you. You just go to this little app here, type what you want to say, and it will speak for you."

She studied the scroll, fully aware that her roommates had stopped and turned, waiting for her.

"You guys go ahead," Roman said to them. "I'll take Neo to her first class. I'll see you guys in class."

"We'll see you at lunch, Neo." Erë's voice seemed flat, but it wasn't something she could focus on right now. The sound of receding footsteps were heard before Roman spoke again.

"Well, try it out."

Looking up, Neo saw the smile upon his face, one of happiness, and maybe even pride. Slowly, she moved the scroll in her hands, choosing the right app, and picking out the individual characters.

"Hello." A woman's voice sounded from the scroll, but the sound was natural, not a robotic function like Neo thought it would be. That one word reverberated through her head, and after a few moments, her fingers flew across the keyboard again.

"Thank you." She launched herself at Roman, embracing him, and he chuckled, wrapping his own arms around her.

"I'm glad you like it. Now you can say whatever you want to me whenever you want, Little Bit."

Neo pulled back, looking up at her companion's green eyes, smiling at the nickname he had given her a while ago but had rarely used. It was a beautiful thing, to be able to voice her thoughts. She had been nervous, but there was no reason: this way she could communicate anything to Roman instead of their simple conversations. Yes, she would miss their unspoken connection, but it didn't matter. She was practically normal again.

"C'mon, I don't want to make you late for class." With that, Roman led her down the hallway, glancing at her class schedule. His face scrunched up in distaste. "Look's like you have History of the Kingdom of Vale first with Professor Hambrigge. On the bright side, if you're feeling a little tired, history can help you catch up on your sleep."

Roman shot her a grin, and she chuckled under her breath. She clutched the scroll and schedule tightly to her chest, but her right hand hung at her side. Roman grabbed it and squeezed it gently, and she forced her cheeks to stay a normal color, momentarily looking away from him.

"Well, here we are." Roman let go of her hand and dropped to one knee to be nearly level with her eyes. "Hambrigge is pretty nice, so you should be okay. If you have any problems finding a class, just ask someone, okay?"

Neo nodded slightly, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she realized Roman couldn't take her to every class and she would have to find her own way. She looked at the floor, not wanting to show her nervousness, but she could never hide emotions from him. His hands landed on her upper arms, and she looked up to him again.

"You'll be okay," he said, his lips slightly curled up, sincerity in his eyes. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

She nodded, and he moved to stand up again, but she wrapped her arms around his neck first. His arms embraced her again, her small figure barely taking any space. Then the hug was broken, and Roman walked off to class, turning to give her a wave before he vanished behind the corner of the corridor.

Deep breath. That's what she needed. Pulling air into her lungs, she pushed open the door to the small lecture hall. Students were already seated in the benches that towered above the professor's desk, and many of them looked at her as she entered. They were all young, twelve she assumed, but they seemed intimidating to her. Some whispered behind their hands to others, eyeing the odd, tiny girl that no one had seen before.

"Why, hello!" a voice exclaimed out.

Neo looked to her right at the source of the voice, coming from the professor's desk. A younger woman sat behind it, skinny and beautiful. Long dirty blonde hair flowed down her back, and she wore a pale green dress adorned with white heels that would have broken a normal woman's ankles. She adorned a smile that radiated white, friendly and warm, almost comforting, especially to a nervous wreck like Neo.

"Are you new?" The woman's head tilted to the side slightly, and as Neo nodded, she gestured to walk forth. "Well, come here, child. I'm Professor Honey Hambrigge. What's your name, sweetie?"

Neo's hands fumbled with the scroll as she wasn't ready for questions already. Her fingers trembled as she typed the three letters, completely aware that all the students were still watching her. At the same time, she walked towards the professor, tripping over her own feet, eliciting laughs from the crowd. Her cheeks flushed, and she hurried over to Hambrigge, her scroll finally saying, "Neo."

"Neo. That's a lovely name." Her smile warmed even more, and now that Neo was close, she could see the professor had warm light brown eyes as well, nearly matching her very dirty blonde hair. "Headmaster Lyon notified me that I had a new student, so I already have your book."

The beautiful woman reached into her desk and pulled out a thick book bound in dark blue. As she handed it to Neo, the title read the same as the class name. Neo took it in her hands, gripping it tightly to her chest along with her scroll.

"Why don't you go take a seat, sweetie? We're just about to start class."

Nodding, the young girl briskly walked to the rising benches, taking a seat at the end of the front one. The closest student was two seats to her right, and she was glad she had a little room to herself in the classroom, even if it did seem as if she was isolating herself. She assumed most of these students already knew each other and were slightly familiar with one another, and she was the oddball out, although she should be used to it by now due to her different colored hair and eyes.

"Alright, children, we're starting chapter eight today, so how about we all turn to page 79. Now, we're finally starting the Great War. We've obviously all heard about it before, but who was it really between?"

Neo had flipped to the page, but she zoned out, too busy focusing on her nerves. She didn't think she would benefit from anything in this class; her fathers had taught her many things before they died, and that included the history of Vale and all of Remnant. They had been extremely progressive in their teachings, always pointing out to her how important education was, and she agreed with them. Unfortunately, they didn't live to see her receiving a real one, eliciting sadness from the orphaned girl, but she would make the most out of it. She hoped she could make them proud, even from the grave.

Neo hadn't realized how long she was thinking about her parents until Professor Hambrigge announced the end of class. She shook her head from her stupor, closing her book and grasping it against her chest again.

"Neo?" Hambrigge trained her eyes on the young girl. "Do you mind if I talk to you quickly?"

Nerves racked the girl's body, thinking maybe the professor knew about her zoning out the entire class. She supposed she didn't hide it very well. Nevertheless, she headed over to the desk, her head hung. The professor waited until Neo was the only student left in the room before she spoke.

"I'm sorry to say that you will have to catch up to chapter eight on your own time. I can't reteach it to everyone. However, if you need any help understanding anything, you are always free to ask me questions. I hope it won't be too difficult for you."

Neo shook her head at the professor, relieved she wasn't in trouble for not paying attention in class. She looked up to the woman's warm eyes.

"Considering you didn't pay attention today, I'm assuming you're nervous, which is normal. However, I really hope this doesn't affect your school performance."

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks, and she glanced down, ashamed. Grabbing her scroll, she started typing.

"I'm sorry for zoning out. Yes, I'm nervous. It's just that I know most of the history already."

The woman's eyebrows raised, disbelief tucked into her eyes. She immediately hid her reaction, but not before Neo caught it. Again, the girl looked down, ashamed of her words. Something she wasn't used to.

"You do? If I gave you the end of the year test now, you think you could do well on it?"

The girl shrugged, not wanting to say anything. She believed she was capable of it, but she didn't want to be disrespectful. Of course, she would have to revisit all of the material, but she would inevitably remember it once her brain was reminded of it.

A smirk crossed Professor Hambrigge's face. "You know, I'm curious, Neo. I want you to take the test. Who knows? Maybe you do know the material. I'll get permission from the headmaster and let you know tomorrow. You will take the test on Friday."

Neo's eyes widened. Three days to review? And catch up with the rest of her classes? How was she supposed to be capable of that? Nevertheless, she nodded and typed thanks to her new professor. Then she turned on her heel and hurried out of the room, her mind racing with what she had just done. She clutched her book, schedule, and scroll so tightly that her knuckles turned white. How had she been so stupid? There was no way she knew everything from history, so why had she been so sure of herself just a minute ago? During her orphaned three years, she supposed she thought a great deal about the education she had received prior, though she hadn't learned anything knew in that time. What if she didn't know everything? There wasn't a possible way she could.

Neo shook her head furiously, glancing at her schedule. Aura with Professor Jung. Hopefully she wouldn't embarrass herself in this class. She really wasn't sure where she was going, but she followed a few of the other students from a distance, ones she recognized from her history class. Maybe they all had the same classes, and sure enough, Neo entered the classroom of Professor Jung. The arrangement of the classroom was much different from Professor Hambrigge's though. Instead of a lecture hall, this room didn't have any seats or even a desk. Colorful mats were laid upon the ground, each spaced out evenly, with a black one at the front of the classroom on which a wide-shouldered man sat upon. Three of the walls were made of glass windows, half of them open, allowing sunlight and fresh air in. The students from her history class were all sitting upon mats, and once again, the only open spot was in the front, and unfortunately in the middle of the front row. She would be looking the professor in the eyes.

She slowly made her way to the brown mat open for her, setting her history book, schedule, and scroll on the floor and lowering herself to the ground. The professor's eyes were closed, and as soon as everyone was seated, he spoke.

"We have a new student," he said, his eyes still closed. "What's your name?"

Neo scrambled to pick up her scroll and type her name, and the other students chuckled again as she had to use a scroll to speak. At the sound of the chuckles, the professor held up a hand, and they immediately ceased.

"Neo." His eyes opened, a bright green piercing into her. She gasped at the beautiful color, as vibrant as the green of the trees on Patch, something she had seen on their airship ride. His wide shoulders led into bulging biceps underneath his shirt, and his thighs matched. He was a large man, strength wise.

"What a fitting name." He stayed seated, his eyes still drilling into her. They finally moved to sweep over the rest of the class. "I hope your classmates haven't given you trouble so far. They're quite troublesome."

Scoffs could be heard throughout the room, but the professor smirked, his black hair flopping over his right eye.

"Alright, I'm just kidding. Well, for Neo, I am Zezë Jung. You're here to train your Aura. You may begin."

Neo looked around as the other students closed their eyes and meditated. Professor Jung motioned for her to come, and she stood to walk to him.

"Greetings," he started, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the others. "Since you're late to the year, you will have to catch up. Early in the year, we learned the basics for Aura. Now we focus our Aura to make it stronger. This is done through meditation, and it may put you through mental strain. If that is the case, take a break. Don't hurt yourself. The goal is to manifest your Aura around your body to be visible. Once most of my students have done this, we will move on. We will see how far your knowledge of Aura extends, but for now, meditate."

Neo nodded and returned to her mat. This is all they did? Of course, these students were first years, just coming out of normal school, so she supposed most of them knew very little about Aura. Of course, she would have been the same way if hers hadn't unlocked during the time she spent in that awful house with those men. She knew she could always improve her Aura, but she had done that quite a bit during her three years on the streets.

The young girl sat, watching as the professor finally stood, a towering man, and he started weaving through the mats, searching for any kind of strength or strain. Neo crossed her legs and closed her eyes, setting her hands upon her knees, palms up. She let out a deep breath before levelling the amount of air entering and exiting her lungs. Her mind searched for one thing to focus on, and she imagined a certain redhead that she had lived with for nearly a year. She blocked out the sounds of others breathing and the professor's light footsteps, strengthening the image of Roman, clarifying and sharpening it. It wasn't long before she could feel every section of her body with intense clarity, and the arms on her hair stood up. Her long strawberry and chocolate hair rose off of her neck, and her body tingled with energy as she held her state for a time she didn't even know.

"Why don't we all take a break. Grab a snack." The professor's voice knocked Neo from her concentration, and her hair fell again as she opened her eyes. Professor Jung stood on his mat again, his eyes boring into her, curiosity laid clearly in them. The other students had run to a cupboard in the corner of the room that Neo hadn't noticed before, and they returned to their mats with peanuts, pretzels, and other assorted snacks to fuel their mind and Aura. Neo didn't feel as if she needed anything at the moment, plus they had lunch after this class, and she didn't want to spoil her appetite.

While the others ate, Professor Jung knelt next to Neo's mat, his green eyes questioning.

"Do you know what you just did?" he asked, his voice low once again. Neo knew she had manifested her Aura, but she shook her head in feigned ignorance. "Your Aura, it's strong already. You had no trouble making it visible. How long has it been unlocked?"

Neo shrugged before typing, "About three years or more."

The professor kept his reaction to himself, but his eyes studied her for a while before he spoke again. "Three years is a long time for someone so young. How old are you? You don't look the age of a first year."

Neo held up all ten fingers, and surprise registered on Professor Jung's face.

"Has your Semblance unlocked as well?"

A hesitant nod from the girl left the professor in silence. He seemed to be thinking for a while, his eyes darting to look across the floor.

"I want you to watch the others with me. I want you to think about what you do differently from them to so easily manifest your Aura. Help them. I'm more than capable of doing so, but I want you to be able to learn from this, considering you are so far ahead of them."

Neo's head tilted. How far ahead? Had none of them manifested their Aura yet? She nodded to the professor.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Professor Jung asked, standing up and addressing the rest of the class. Silence ensued, and they closed their eyes, starting their meditation once more. Neo stood, looking at the professor. He caught her eyes and nodded to her. She took a deep breath before slowly starting a walk through the mats. There were thirty children in the class, six columns with five rows of mats. She started down the column she had headed. A girl with purple hair sat behind Neo's mat, her face scrunched in concentration and her entire upper body hunched over her crossed legs. Butterflies took flight in the young girl's stomach; if she touched the girl, would she know it wasn't the professor? He didn't seem to want the other students to know of Neo's progression, but she was supposed to help them, wasn't she? She looked once more at the professor, who was watching her, and his chin lowered slightly.

Pushing down her butterflies, she stood behind the girl and gently pulled the girl's shoulders back until her back was straight. The girl seemed to relax a bit, her face also losing its tight manner. Moving onto the boy behind her, Neo found him to have posture correct, but his Aura wasn't manifesting. That could be due to a mental, focusing reason, something Neo couldn't fix. She moved on once more. Another boy. Good posture, but his hands weren't palm up. Fixed.

Neo did this continually, fixing the posture of the other students as Professor Jung walked around as well, whispering into the ears of certain students. As class neared the end, Neo was starting to tire. She wished that she had eaten a snack for energy, but lunch would be soon, less than ten minutes away.

The odd girl looked at the professor, who had a smile upon his face, and she followed his trail of sight. A girl with long blonde hair was deep in concentration, her posture perfect, and a lilac-colored Aura flickered around her, although it didn't stay for more than a second at a time. It shifted between visible and invisible, and after two minutes of it flickering, she finally collapsed back, panting deeply. Professor Jung made his way over to her, kneeling next to her, and Neo hurried over as well.

"Syrin?" Professor said lowly. "Are you okay?"

The girl didn't answer, but her eyes were still closed, and her chest moved up and down dramatically.

"Neo, go get a bottle of water from the cupboard."

Neo walked briskly to the cupboard, not running so she wouldn't interrupt the others' concentration, before she returned to the professor with a bottle of water.

"Here, Syrin, here's some water."

He helped the girl sit up to take a drink, and she heartily drank half of it before laying back down and gasping. Her eyes finally opened, and Neo saw the bright lilac of her irises, the same color as her Aura.

"Did I do it?" the girl whispered.

The professor smiled. "A little bit, but you shouldn't strain yourself so much."

The girl, Syrin, smiled at that. "But I finally did it. My brother is gonna be so proud." She turned her head to look at Neo, her blonde hair fanned out under her. "Aren't you the new girl? Why aren't you meditating?"

"That's not important," Professor Jung answered. "Neo, please return to your mat. I'm going to release the other children. Good job today, Syrin."

Neo did as she was told, but she could feel the lilac-colored eyes following her. She sat upon her mat as Professor Jung stood on his own.

"Okay, you may stop. Good job to you all today. Eat a hearty lunch."

With that, the other students gathered their books and hurried out, conversing with each other, some bragging about their Aura ability and how close they thought they were. Before Neo left, Professor Jung called her back.

"Neo, a word." She turned back to him, waiting. "Since you are so advanced, this class isn't quite beneficial to you. It may take most of the year for my students to be able to manifest their Aura. I'd like to move you up to second year Aura training. But I'd like to test your abilities before I do so. Would you mind that?"

Neo shook her head, smiling. She was glad that she would be moved up. She didn't know if she could have sat in that class every day, not doing anything to really strengthen her Aura, just other people's.

"Fantastic. Tomorrow, after your last class, come here. I want to test you. You shouldn't use any of your Aura tomorrow for this class so I can see the full extent of it. You will be helping others again tomorrow. I'm sorry for that."

"Thank you," her scroll said. "I look forward to it."

Professor Jung smiled at her before dismissing her. She started to head to the dining hall, thinking deeply about the two classes she had already attended. She was already advanced in both. Would she be for the third as well? If so, would she be moved up an entire year? If that was the case, she'd only be a year lower than Roman and his friends, and she'd be three years younger than her peers. Was that bad? Would other people be mad? What would Roman think?

Of course Roman would be supportive. He would be happy for her, right? Although, it wasn't her dream to become a Huntress; it was his to become a Huntsman. Would he be jealous? Would he be mad that she hadn't taught him anything?

No. He had plenty of time to train his body and mind. She had used that time to do so. He hadn't very often, especially at the beginning, but he was still mourning his parents' deaths. Neo had had years to overcome it; Roman had barely a year. She was just more progressive about her time.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but be nervous for Roman's reaction. Whether he would be happy or upset, or jealous even. The imminent reaction forced her appetite to nothing.

 **Author's Note:**

Well, I know this chapter is a lot longer than normal, but I was on a roll, and it was part of the Monty Oum project (although I'm a week late on it). Not very much happened, but we know that even as a young girl, Neo excelled. Most of the name are forms of colors. Ross is red in another language (I honestly can't remember what language I used to translate it), Pitch just refers to black. Mele is just a random name I decided to use, and we will learn about Erë's name soon here, although it is translated from another language as well. Zezë is black in Albanian, and Syrin is lilac in Norwegian.

Anyway, I apologize for the long chapter, but I hope you guys like it! Feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
